Fable
by SoCallMeLusopp
Summary: He'd come to realize, first with glory and then with sadness, that he wasn't dead. Close to; on the very brink, but not dead. Turns out, being eaten alive and whole was very much real and very much made one feel this way. He can't stay in the wolf. Not forever. He knows that he must fight. But he's scared. He's scared of her and he's scared of after. Either he dies or he wins.
1. To All the People I've Loved

**fablE**

Welcome, my precious readers. Before I really get into _No Man is an Island,_ I wanted to post a real quick oneshot of some serious hurt-Usopp, Usopp-lovin, angst, and bravery. If you've read _So Favored, So Loved,_ well this oneshot is the story behind Garp's piqued interest in Usopp. You don't have to actually read the story to understand anything, but for those who did, get ready for the why. Anyway, this is obviously an Usolu/Lusopp, but before you click away, give the story a chance. You might actually like it. There's actually a lot more adventure than anything.

This is obviously a long oneshot, which I decided split into 2-3 parts, but it has a lot of information in it. Anyway, here's to the story.

**For IcePrincessChan**

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters. I just write fanfiction people.

Title: Fable

Pairing(s): Usolu, various others.

Summary: "It's mostly a lie, you know?" "huh?" "The stuff I said. About Ake and Im and what they did to the giants of Elbaf. It was a tale. I was just afraid to lose you." "You wouldn't lose me." "But I thought I would." His eyes tear up. "And I couldn't, so I hurt people." Luffy takes off his hat and firmly places it atop his curls. "Usopp would never lose me."

Rating: M

* * *

**To All The People I've Loved**

"Where the hell is that shitty sniper? Food's gonna get cold." It's more of a traditional question now than an actual phrase of consideration. Sanji knows where Usopp is. They all do. Once before, Usopp would be the first one up, watching Sanji cook for fear of his boyfriend stealing all his food. For the five months since Elbaf, Usopp doesn't come to eat with anyone anymore. At least not altogether in a large group where he feels so overwhelmed by them all. In fact, he didn't really eat much at all anymore; too scared and too often of something. Anything; everyone staring at his hands; them judging him; hearing the questions. Luffy doesn't take his food anymore. It's left wrapped in the left corner of the fridge where the lock is purposely unhinged for those nightly hunger raids that Usopp thinks no one knows about.

Instead of spending time with the crew, Usopp spends his days in solitude; in the garden behind Nami's tangerines. So they know where he is. Retrieving him and getting him to eat breakfast is the big feat. And it's Luffy's job. When Sanji asks that question, it's a cue for Luffy to go and retrieve his boyfriend from wherever he is in his thoughts. "I'll get 'em," he mumbles to the quiet crew. When he's halfway out the door of the kitchen, he hears Sanji murmur "Get Chopper too, will ya? I think he's sleeping."

The Monkey mindlessly leads himself to the garden where he can hear Usopp's soft voice. Usopp's voice, though shrill when he was afraid, always had a calming effect. Especially when he sang old songs that none of them knew. His voice was made of ivory and gold when he sang, more valuable and ironically priceless compared to all the riches they'd come across. It was a piece of his puzzle that Luffy loved so much about him. He found the sniper there often, tending to the plants he loved, in a world he loved, and singing currency. What Luffy didn't expect to find was Chopper lazily lying on his side staring at the morning sky.

Either Usopp hadn't noticed the reindeer or he just didn't care. The brown man busied himself in softly placing his treasured pop greens in the dirt.

"_And all the harm that I ever did_

_Alas it was to none but me,"_

He sang the song almost inaudibly as if the words were difficult to say in his tongue. Chopper had noticed too as he shifted on one side toward Usopp and rested his small head in the crook of his elbow. Since he met them, Usopp was some kind of statue to the animal. He stared at the sniper a lot, listened to him like he was some sort of God. But now, ever since Elbaf and maybe even a few weeks before when Usopp had lost himself, the eighteen-year-old stared at him like he was an ancient puzzle, trying to find secrets in his head.

"_And all I've done_

_for want of wit_

_To memory now I can't recall_

_So fill to me the parting glass_

_Good night and joy be with you al-"_

Luffy places a hand on his lover's shoulder, mumbling his name. Sometimes, he doesn't think about how idiotic he can really be. He doesn't think about his actions because he's Luffy. He wings it and it turns out the way it should be. But he should be more careful. Especially with Usopp. Usopp, who can't even handle the sound of his own voice without crying and backing into a corner like he heard a monster. Usopp, who fights as he did back in East Blue because he doesn't want to hear the sound of his weapon. Usopp, who couldn't really come back from what happened, no matter the countless nights where the crew urged him it was over. Usopp, who was still somehow stuck in all that blood on Elbaf, screaming for Luffy to come and save him.

Usopp screams. It's blood curdling and vast around the Thousand Sunny and all that gold and ivory in his mouth has turned into dust and debris, disgusting and unsoothing. He's lashed out before, many times before Luffy. _Only_ before Luffy. Never before anyone else. _Never_ before Chopper, who's eighteen but still a kid with the thought that Usopp - God Usopp - is too strong for traumatic stress. It was too much for him, really. One wrong move and he'd go crazy; whacko; nutty is what they called it in the papers. One wrong move and Usopp would go down under an exceptional burden. 34 pounds of ammo, plus the layers of clothing to hide the scars, plus the weapon and all the rest.

Plus the unweighted fear.

So Usopp screams and yanks away and grabs at his side where Kabuto isn't.

"Usopp," Luffy calls. "It's me!"

"Get off! Get off! Get off!"

"Usopp!" Luffy grabs hold of the sniper's leg as the other tries to scramble away like a bug. He tenses. All three of them do. Chopper's standing now, staring bewildered at his hero. Usopp is kind of dangling there, his nails in Sunny's back as he stares haphazardly into space; calculating his next move. He does it a lot now, sitting there as still as an inanimate object as if people can't see him when he isn't moving. Sitting there and thinking, his hands searching. Luffy still has the other into place. His face is hidden beneath his hat and he's more embarrassed about his own actions than Usopp's.

It isn't the commotion that draws the rest of the Straw Hats on deck, but the stillness and silence that follows after. Sanji comes out first, the scream of his best friend common in his head. His brows are deep down his forehead and he's clutching his fist so hard on an invisible weapon. The rest follow suit as he looks around. "What happened?" He demands. "Where's Usop-"

Luffy lets the ankle go. And like some sort of rabid creature, Usopp ushers away faster than Sanji can finish. He goes to the railing and stares at Luffy as if he's someone else. Someone he has to fear and defeat. He's muttering to himself and there's snot running down his nose and tears in his eyes. And he's still embarrassingly reaching those hands around for his weapon.

"It's not there, Usop-"

"Leave him," Luffy snaps at Zoro. The crew grows quiet, even Usopp stills in searching and looks down. They all sit and stand cautiously for a moment before Usopp falls back against the rail. He's breathing heavy and his eyes are closed and his head is turned toward the sun. And then they open. His pretty brown eyes open and the sniper looks up and around in confusion. He tenses when he sees the concerned eyes of his crewmates. And then Luffy, who's staring the way a captain would.

"Luffy," he whispers. "How did I- Where - how?" And he halts. "Did I do the thing?"

Luffy crouches low to the deck and eyes Usopp like he's some sort of exotic animal. "C'mere," he softly demands. Usopp frowns and looks away from them all. He's embarrassed, no doubt. But even more so afraid. He could have hurt them. Any of them. Or all of them. "Usopp. C'mere."

"No," the sniper says defiantly. "I hurt you. I hurt you all. I didn't mean to. I didn't."

Luffy sighs. He looks to his crew. They don't understand anything. Days ago, when Garp had left, Usopp was just fine. But now, he had gone back to before. When they left Elbaf.

'_We cared,' Luffy defends. He can't believe Usopp would even think that. And now he really wants to know what happened on Elbaf that made him like this. What made him lose his trust in his nakama._

'_You all did. Just not enough.'_

_He's taken aback. Luffy isn't a smart man. He's taken aback easily. But this one….this one hurts. 'Usopp,' he murmurs._

_Usopp stops him. 'I just….I just wanted comfort. And I want you to know that I'm both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that's possible.'_

He sighs. Grandpa was right. Usopp wasn't going to get any better if he didn't let it out. "Than," he hesitates, "Tell us what you saw just then."

Usopp tenses. "No."

"Usopp," Luffy says back with just as much force. "It won't get better unless we work on it. That's what grandpa said."

"No!"

"Usopp"

"Just leave it, okay?"

"_Usopp."_

"Zoro was dead again, okay?" Usopp stands in a defensive and then he stares around at the crew with hard overshadowed eyes. His eyes meet Zoro's and he almost falls back as the images that come again. That bloated face, the dead eyes. The grabbing. "He was dead and she killed him and I couldn't bring him back."

"Again?" Nami softly asks like Usopp is some sort of child who had a bad dream that doesn't make sense.

He crosses his arms. "You wouldn't understand," he mutters. They wouldn't understand until they saw what he saw. Felt what he felt. They've never watched their crewmate die only to wake up and see them. They've never had to experience the blood and gore and lost hope like him.

Zoro sits. "Than make us," he demands. "We want to hear everything you've been through. Everything that happened. Starting way before we got to that damn Kingdom."

Usopp looks at his friend. He shakes his head. "Are you….are you sure?"

"Course I am. What do you take me for?"

Usopp nods. He doesn't know where he should start really. He's overwhelmed and afraid, but he's also surprised that they're all willing to listen to what happened on Elbaf and how he feels. What he sees and hears. What they did to him. "I...I don't know if you want-"

"We do, longnose, so tell us. It feels better when you let it out."

The sniper laughs, but when he looks up, soft tears fall from his eyes. "I mean. Where do I start?"

"From the beginning, I suppose," Luffy comes to sit by his lover. "Just let me understand, please."

"Okay," the sniper whispers in return. Quietly, he reaches over and grabs Luffy's hand, not missing the soft squeeze he gets in return. "Well, I guess it started three days before we got to Elbaf. It started with the thoughts." He looks up and around them all. "And then the dreams came."

* * *

_Five Months Prior_

Nami grates her teeth together again as she hears giggling. It's not Luffy's annoyingly soft laugh nor is it Usopp's high pitched squeal. Zoro is too busy napping or too busy training to play and Sanji's too busy being an idiot in the kitchen.

Brook's violin is echoing from the crow's nest, scratchy and hesitant as he practiced new scores.

_Chopper_, she thinks. The woman looks up from her newspaper with enough venom to murder the entire crew. "Chopper, I'm going to give you five seconds to get from under my chair-"

"Shh."

He shushed her. He shushed her although he's disturbing her quiet time. This little runt. Her brows furrow and she clenches the paper tightly in her hand. "Choppe-"

Nami stops. Usopp has stopped before her, smiling down at her mischievously. "Hey, Nami. Have you seen Luffy or Chopper? We're playing hide and seek, but I want to hide as quickly as possible."

"Well play hide and seek somewhere else? I'm reading." Despite wanting to strangle him, Nami isn't going to give way to Chopper's obvious location.

Usopp scratches his head. "Jeez, who kicked you out of the bed this morning?"

"What?" She hisses dangerously.

"Nothing." Usopp sticks his tongue out at the woman as a loud roar erupts from somewhere on the ship.

"Usssssssoooooopppp," Luffy screams, "you'll never find me!" It's a lie because Luffy is really bad at this game even though he initiates it.

Nami sighs when she sees Usopp smirk with a shake of his head. "You know, after all these years, you _still _haven't told me what you see in our idiot of a captain." Usopp laughs softly and there's a hint of a blush on his cheeks. Nami sighs again as it is the action of the day. She and Usopp tell each other many things, but he's still never told her - or anyone for that matter - why he fell in love and sticks with Luffy. All he does is smile and look away. Like now. "You're still holding out on me?"

Usopp nods. "I don't want to tell anyone what I see in Luffy."

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid that if they knew, they might fall in love with him too." Usopp hurries off into a door of the Sunny. He whistles down a tight hallway, thinking of where Luffy or Chopper could be hiding. Lu was a lot easier to find; he was loud and obnoxious and quiet wasn't his forte. He'd often forget his goal and lead himself to the kitchen or into another game. Chopper, on the other hand, was usually never found until the game ended, asleep in his hiding spot. Usopp halts by a door as he hears a scatter of feet on the inside.

The nineteen-year-old hums in interest. A year ago, they'd stopped using the rooms on the lower deck, only using them for storage. If he remembered, this was Robin's old room. But, not even hide and seek could bring it back to life. Luffy wasn't so smart and Chopper was too lazy. Unless….

"Got chu!" The sniper kicks open the door, murmuring a slight apology to Merry in the process. He stands there for a moment, looking at the dusty old room. It isn't much in here, just an empty bed in the corner and a dresser on the side. "Hm." Usopp squints as his haki searches the room, but again, nothing. Slowly, he looks to the right of the bed. Nothing's over there. Not Chopper or Luffy.

He hears sniffling. Still coming from the room and slowly, he looks to the other side. Usopp isn't crazy. When he came in, the bed was stripped and not even his haki could detect another soul.

But now, the bed was made and a small body sat upon it. Usopp had been on the seas for three years. He'd seen almost everything there was to see. And although fear was something he'd always need to be brave, it had turned into caution. Simple caution. The boy on the bed is small, slightly lighter than Usopp with his afro cut low. One knee is clutched to his chest as he stares at Usopp with tears in his eyes. "I had a bad dream," he whispers in the quiet.

Usopp can't help himself when he strides into the room and whispers back. "Brook?"

The child doesn't confirm that. But Usopp can feel it in his blood when the boy doesn't look away. Even as his lips tremble and his shoulders heave with emotion, unwilling to back down. His dark lashes are brimmed heavy with tears; his hands clenched into shaking fists, in a desperate battle against the grief. A lone tear traced down his cheek. "I had a bad dream," he tells Usopp again as if it were profound. "I don't want to go back there."

It's not real. He knows it isn't real. But Usopp always had a connection with children through his stories and fables. And he can't help himself when he pushes into the room to stand in the middle. "You don't have to."

"But you sent me there," Brook whines, telling Usopp like the sniper was the child. "You did."

"I didn't." He doesn't know where this boy came from or what he's afraid of, but he knows fear. He would never send anyone where they didn't want to be. "I wouldn't do that."

"But what if…." the child trails off and hugs himself further. "But what if you do send me back there?"

Usopp shakes his head. "Brook-"

Brook whimpers. "What if you send me back out there and I get hurt really bad? What if I go back out there and I make a lot of friends but I lose them? And I can never return to them because something bad happens. What if I get hurt really bad and all my friends go away? What if I go away too, but I have to come back and I'm alone for decades without sunlight. And God takes my shadow away from me so I don't even have a friend in the dark? What if that happens?"

Usopp walks closer in the middle of the room, shaking his head and staring intensely at the child. A single tear slides down from his warm, coffee eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flow their way down his dark cheeks, releasing the sadness and sorrow that had been building up with every one of Brook's questions. "I would never…" he trails and more tears escape as he shakes his head at the curious child. Brook's life and afterlife had been so heartbreaking, but hearing his younger self express fears about the inevitable made Usopp's entire chest collapse. He could feel it. Feel everything as a matter of fact. "I would never-"

"Usopp." Luffy's voice behind him makes him jump slightly out of the world that seems so real to him. He turns to see the other teen smiling at him. "You really couldn't find us? I was in the kitchen the whole time." He stares at Usopp for a moment. "Who were you talking to?"

Usopp touches his now dry face in stunned surprise. When he turns around, the child and the sadness and the dream is gone. And all he's left with is the barren bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Where's Brook? Is he okay?"

Luffy's head tilts to the side. "He's in the crow's nest." And then he half smirks at Usopp. "I know why you're in here." He comes closer as Usopp shakes his head in confusion, his heart still pounding. Brook - that boy - isn't okay. He can feel it. Luffy laughs softly as he leans forward. A kiss on Usopp's neck followed by one on his jaw.

"Luffy," he protests quietly. But Luffy doesn't stop. Usopp turns to the bed again, still feeling a presence. "Luffy, stop. Is Brook okay?"

Luffy frowns then. "Of course. Should he not be?"

_He's not okay. Here's out there._

"What?"

"I said of course he's okay-"

"No. After that."

"I didn't say anything after that, 'Sopp."

Usopp shakes his head. He pries Luffy's arms from around his waist. "Stop. I'm not in the mood."

And he's gone from the room faster than Luffy can persuade him they should stay for a little while. The Monkey he left behind, stumped.

* * *

The rest of Usopp's day revolves around Brook, much to Luffy's dismay. After spending time singing with Brook in the crow's nest, the sniper wanted to show Brook some paintings of Laboon he'd finished. And when Usopp ran out of things to keep Brook close, he watched him wearily from afar, like the skeleton would disappear.

Everyone notices it. But no one says a thing about it. They're all close to each other by now. Luffy enjoys that his crewmates got to understand one another over the years. And he surely doesn't mind Usopp's sudden hold on Brook's leg.

But, Usopp is… the captain trails, holding his now aching head. Usopp is….._his. _Given they spend their waking moments together. And Luffy wasn't jealous. Not even in the slightest. It was just that….he was concerned. Usopp was the bravest of them all, defined by overcoming fears daily. But when he was really scared, like so scared that he shut himself out, it concerns him.

It concerns him, but Luffy is Luffy. He doesn't think about it until they're going to sleep for the night. It's a night neither of them have watch so Luffy doesn't hide his excitement when Usopp makes his way to the captain's quarters.

He smiles shyly at Luffy when he comes in, a tray of food in his arms. "Hey."

Luffy returns that hey breathlessly, taken aback by both the tray and his lover. Because Usopp's is so fucking gorgeous just standing there and he's perfect enough to bring Luffy food before they go to bed.

Usopp laughs once he realizes that Luffy isn't going to do anything but stand and stare like a dumbfounded fool. "You're impossible."

The stupor is broken and Luffy laughs too, though not as much as the sniper. "Sorry."

It only makes Usopp laugh harder as he comes forward and sits the tray on the bed. Luffy sits across from him as they both begin eating quietly. He's taught Luffy to eat in increments since they were younger and Luffy always ate all the food on their dates. "Don't say sorry. It's cute, you know? When you stare."

"Than what do I say?"

"You just give a compliment." Luffy's still the more unromantic of the two, but Usopp doesn't mind showing him the ropes or anything. "Like tell me I'm handsom-"

"-you're perfect."

"-e or something." Usopp chokes on a grape. So maybe not so unromantic. Just unexpectedly and surprisingly endearing. "Yeah. Like that." Silence. "Thank you," he murmurs.

"And what do I say after that?"

"After the compliment?"

"Yeah."

Usopp laughs a little. "You say 'Usopp will you marry me someday?'"

Luffy smiles. "Usopp will you marry me someday? You're my best friend and the world's stupid when you're not with me. It just don't make sense." Usopp blushes and opens his mouth. However, Luffy beats him to it. "And you would say yes because you want to be my Usopp as much as I want to be your Luffy forever." Usopp laughs quietly and Luffy leans forward to touch his forehead like he's checking his temperature. Actions of endearment are not his forte. Though those words kiss his heart like it's the only heart that needs tending to. "You'd say yes, wouldn't you Usopp?"

"Absolutely." No doubt. No hesitation. "You know, you're really good at these late night conversations." Luffy doesn't know what he's saying half the time, but he sure does when he speaks to him. And he sure as hell means the meaningless words.

"I'm also good with some other late night things too."

"Oh really?" The black boy pushes the now empty tray out of the way as Luffy crawls over to him.

"Hell yeah." And before anything else, Luffy kisses him. It's a soft peck. And suddenly, his lips go to Usopp's neck. The sniper's trying to be indifferent now. It doesn't do to let someone with an ego like Luffy's know how much power he has. He doesn't lean in, doesn't make it easy or seem too keen.

While his lips are busy marking up Usopp's neck, the Monkey's hands caress his neck. Slow and gentle. Luffy knows more than anyone that this is a sensitive spot. So when the darker teen ignored it in favor of Brook, the captain knew something was off.

He wants to ask if he's okay. And why he had been so worried about Brook in the first place. But Usopp lets out a small whimper when the bruise on his neck is licked gently.

"You're okay," Luffy accidentally mutters into the hot skin. He smiles a little and then he's embarrassed because all this time, he just wanted Usopp to himself so he could make sure. And now that he knows, he's embarrassed because Usopp knows too.

"Yeah?" It's more of a question than an agreement.

"Yeah." Luffy moves back to look at the other. "I'm making you wait...and now I know what you want."

Usopp laughs quietly. "What?"

Luffy moves closer to cup the sniper's face in his hands. And then he gives Usopp what he knows he wants. It's a laugh really. How Luffy can actually jump him and kiss every part of his face goofily and sloppily without hurting him.

And Usopp's laughing while being half tickled and half kissed and he's got that really loud and obnoxious laugh that annoys everyone and it's just perfect. It's perfect.

* * *

_She breaks when they fall asleep. He can hear her cries at night, but he can never understand why. Usopp doesn't know who's body he possesses as he walks quietly around the sleeping Sunny. Whether male or female, whether friend or foe, he knows less. He only knows that he can hear this woman in utter pain. She's broken no doubt; physically, mentally, emotionally. But he doesn't know who she is. Or where she is. He doesn't know anything._

_The man stills as he hears footsteps behind him. Slowly, cautiously, he turns. It's….Usopp can feel his eyes narrow and his limbs reach for his side where Kabuto is._

_This man is foul. Since his very beginning, Usopp knows this man has been consumed by darkness and despair. And instead of moving beyond his own upbringing, he always chose to bring darkness with him, destroying lives and dreams every chance he got. All with no true purpose. And if that wasn't the worst of it, he was the one true enemy of Monkey D. Luffy. Any enemy to the love of his life should die a thousand times over. But he….Blackbeard…..he didn't even deserve that kind of death. It would never be enough._

"_Blackbeard," Usopp says the coward's name in a demanding tone. "State your business on the Thousand Sunny."_

_Blackbeard says nothing. The large man only continues to stare at him...or through him...a horrible look in those horrible eyes. He's angry no doubt. Bitter with rage as his fists clench and unclench._

_Usopp sneers as the man starts walking forward. "Stop or I'll-"_

_He gasps and clutches his stomach as Blackbeard goes straight through him. The feeling isn't any kind of pain. It's worse. Because he can feel it...everything. The air, the sound, the darkness. He can feel that and it's worse than pain._

_The young man turns to stare at Teach's retreating form, his heavy shoulders heaving as he goes down into the lower deck of the Sunny. Usopp doesn't know what demands him to do so. He has no purpose here and now that he knows that no one can see him, he can't change a thing. He can't remove Blackbeard from the ship, he can't stop the woman from crying, and he can't escape._

_But he follows Blackbeard down anyway, hastily and in fear of what the Yonko is doing. Blackbeard doesn't stop when he gets to his destination but rather knocks the door down by barging into the room._

"_Shut your mouth, whore!"_

_His enraged scream echoes around the lower level of the ship and Usopp cautiously steps into the room. It burns his eyes firsthand. It stinks; smelling of human feces and blood. And it's disgusting. Teach has no problem with the smell apparently, he simply stares down at a wooden post in the middle of the room, chains wrapped from top to bottom._

_There's heavy breathing, but it isn't Blackbeard. Cautiously, Usopp goes around the large man to see who this crying woman is. He can vaguely remember Bonney being captured for some time by Teach, but it wouldn't explain why Usopp was-_

_Usopp freezes and instantly his eyes tear up. Her arms are tied above her head and she's naked down to her core. He looks back at Teach, who's still staring at her in anger. He knows the barbarian can't hear him, but rendered speechless, it's the only thing he can think of._

"_What are you doing?" he whispers. It's demanding, but he's scared. More scared than he's ever been. Terrified even. He can't _do _anything. "Why do have her? Let her go!"_

_Nami isn't supposed to be here. Not with him. Not alone. Where's Luffy? Zoro? Where the fuck is Sanji? Nami's his friend. One of his best friends, someone who helped from Syrup Village to now. They always helped one another out. And to see her so bloody and broken, Usopp can't comprehend._

_Teach laughs as he and Nami stare at one another. "I got a way to shut your mouth again. Looks like you want it."_

"_Didn't you hear me!?" Usopp demands. "I said 'let her go!'"_

_Teach moves closer to Nami and he crouches down. Usopp shakes his head when the man runs his disgusting fat fingers over her pale leg. "D-don't touch her!" But Teach doesn't stop. Doesn't even hesitate. Not when he climbs over Nami. Not when he pulls down his pants. Not when she cries. Not while Usopp is screaming and trying to throw punches in the man's back as his fists go through._

_Teach keeps going and going and Nami's gone silent a while ago. Usopp is still screaming and crying in rage, anger, defeat, and sadness. But Teach stays over her. He keeps going and moaning and touching her._

_Usopp stands. "Goddammit, I said stop!" He grabs Kabuto and puts a more deadly pop green in the sling. The sniper aims as well as he can with the tears in his eyes. "Get the fuck off of her so I can blow your fucking head off!"_

_Teach stops thrusting. The world goes quiet. The heavy man's head turns to the side almost as if to look at someone behind him. "Well, well, well. Ain't that something."_

_Nami's just laying there on her side. Her eyes shift to the side again and become glazed with a glassy layer of tears. As she blinks, they drip from her eyelids and slide down her cheeks. She bites her lip tightly in an attempt to hide any sound that wanted to escape from her mouth; Usopp's heart sinks._

_Slowly, but surely, her eyes come to meet Usopp's. She can see him. He swears she can see him._

_Her lower lip quivers as words slowly make their way out of her mouth. "Usopp?"_

* * *

Usopp gasps as he rolls off Luffy's bed. He looks around the captain's quarters in shock, desperation, and agony. It's dark. Luffy's snore drops to the floor like an anchor and the teen lifts himself off the floor. His boyfriend is sound asleep, undisturbed by Usopp's crash and Nami's crying.

The sniper looks up in horror. "Nami," he whispers. Quickly dressing, Usopp makes haste out of Luffy's room to make sure his friend is okay. Sanji would probably kill him if he were caught sneaking into the woman's quarters. But he can still hear Nami crying. It's not okay. She's not okay.

Usopp opens she and Robin's door quietly. The moonlight touches her warm orange hair and flashes over her eyes. The girl groans in annoyance, something that sleep can't even take from her, and turns away. She's sleeping and annoyed and tossing around like she always does. Usopp's eyes fill with liquid and he smiles softly, leaning on the door and just staring at his best friend's sleeping face. "You're okay," he whispers to her.

_Liar. She's not okay. He's hurting her._

Usopp frowns. It's the thoughts again. It's that stupid voice. Usopp shakes his head and closes Nami's door. He has to make sure she'll be safe. The sniper keeps Kabuto by his side as he journeys around the entire ship, looking for signs of Blackbeard. All the third, second, and first floor rooms and parts, the soldier dock system, his factory, the library, the sickbay, and Franky's workshop.

The sniper finally ends up by the crow's nest. His eyes narrow in suspicion. "Franky. You up there?"

The door opens and Franky does indeed poke his cyber head out. A wave of relief floods over Usopp. "Usopp-bro, why are you up? Zoro-bro is taking over."

"Nevermind that," Usopp mutters. "I'm just up to get a snack. Wanted to make sure you were keeping watch. You know, back in Syrup they called me Usopp-the-eye because I was so good at keeping watch over the village." At least the cyborg was keeping watch. So if anyone did show up, a warning could be called before Nami was even close to danger.

_Liar._

"Really? That is suuuu-per!" Franky says in wonder.

Usopp nods and swallows the lump in his throat. "Yeah, but I'll tell you about tomorrow, okay?"

"Got it, bro. Night."

He whispers the sentiment back, already on his way back to Nami's room. It was a trap. He should have known it would be too easy.

_He's hurting her. She's not okay. Liar._

By the time, he reaches the women's room, he's out of breath and panting and he doesn't mind opening the door as if there's an actual attack. Nami groans again, this time disturbed by the moonlight and the noise. Her eyes open, but they're squinted in confusion. "Usopp?" she croaks in her tiredness.

Usopp closes the door. The man turns around to lean against it. Still, he's breathing hard and scared and more tears fill his eyes. He sinks lower as the thoughts come back. Brook on the bed. Nami on the floor. It's not right. A brave warrior of the sea isn't supposed to be so emotional. But he can feel it. Every pain that Nami felt, he can feel it. Every fear in Brook's mind, he could feel it. The air, sound, and darkness. He could feel that too. In fact, he could feel everything. And the sniper curls into himself outside the women's door and cries. For the living and the dead, he cries.

* * *

He comes to with Sanji yelling at him. The sniper looks up groggily as Sanji rants with spit flying out of his mouth. The temper on this cook is by far, still one of the most tremendous things Usopp has seen. And being on the Grandline and in the New World, he's seen enough.

"I mean, I'd expect this from lawn-head up there. Or even that pervert zombie. But really, Usopp?"

"What?" he asks tiredly.

Sanji's cigarette breaks in two while still between his lips. "You know what I'm talking about. You're here because you were trying to peek in on Nami-swan and my dear Robin. A lady deserves more respect than that."

The night's events come back to him exactly as they were. A bad dream. The sniper wakes up a little more to see that he's still sitting against the women's room door. He must have fallen asleep there. Which was good. It meant that he kept Nami safe. But still….

"No I really wasn't."

"Liar!"

"Sanji," he says dangerously, deathly serious as he stares at his friend. "I'm serious. I wasn't trying to peek on Nami or Robin. At least not the way you think."

"Then why-"

"Can you shut that hole in your face, lover boy? Half the crew isn't even up yet."

Sanji turns around with a glower in his face as he stares dangerously at crow's nest where Zoro is hanging out of a window. "What?"

Usopp stands as the cook makes his way over to their swordsman. A fight is brewing, but it always does. So he doesn't care. Carefully, the man knocks on the door behind him. "Come in," a soft voice calls. And Usopp takes the invitation immediately. Robin is sitting upon her bed reading a book while Nami works diligently at her desk. Her ink going across the paper swiftly yet elegantly. She was in her zone like every other morning as she mapped out their destination.

Nami was the most skilled navigator he knew...possibly the world knew. She drew those maps as if she had created the world herself. It's a work of art that takes time, patience, and solitude. Which is why the woman doesn't notice Usopp standing beside her until she goes to draw the coordinates of her map.

Instead of looking up or stopping, Nami hums in acknowledgment. "We should make it to Elbaf by tomorrow if my mapping is correct. It's so hard to go by these old maps of the kingdom."

"With you on board, we'll make it exactly how you foresee it."

Nami smiles at the praise. "All _I_ have to do is map out the currents, ship docking locations, and details of the island." She's getting excited just talking about what she's going to do so Usopp can't help it when he messes with her ponytail in a teasing manner.

"Alright, nerd." Nami shoos his hands away, but she laughs nonetheless. He stares at her in content before asking "You okay, Nam?"

The girl looks up. "Yeah. These maps might wear me out, but you know I'll be okay." It's not what he was implying because the thoughts of Teach still plague his mind, but she's okay. Once more, quiet consumes them in full. "You excited?"

"Me?"

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

"Why would I be excited about your maps?"

"Not the maps you idiot. Elbaf. Are you excited?"

Usopp wants to say yes. Since he was seventeen in Little Garden...and their height wasn't the only reason he looked up to Dorry and Broggy, he wanted to visit Elbaf and live amongst the warriors. He wanted to be brave. Every giant from Elbaf that he befriended further ignited that goal. Every brave warrior always made him feel like he had a chance. Everyone knew Usopp wanted to go to Elbaf.

_Nami lays the map flat on the table before Luffy. She smirks mischievously at her captain before looking back at the map. Sanji and Zoro are on either side of her, staring at her work like an enemy they have to cut or kick down; in calculation._

_Usopp smiles and leans forward in the captain's lap. "So where to next, navigator?"_

_Nami smirks again and now Luffy leans forward and Zoro leans closer to the unmarked map with a large tree in the middle of it. The anticipation is killing them now. "Oh, you'll love this one."_

"_Is there meat?"_

"_What's all this anyway? Maps are supposed to be labeled."_

_Nami shushes them. "This here….is Elbaf."_

_It goes quiet and all heads turn to Usopp. It makes the frightful sniper jump. "Ahh! Why are you all staring at me?"_

_Luffy pinches his side. "It's Elbaf."_

"_So?"_

"_Aw cut the shit you, shitty sniper. Everyone knows it's been your dream for a long time. There's no reason to lie."_

_Usopp only laughs. "You're right. Elbaf sure is a pretty big deal. Let's hope the giants like me as much as the ones we've met."_

_Again, Luffy pinches his side. "Of course, stupid. Everybody likes Usopp."_

"_Everybody isn't just you, Luffy."_

_Luffy smiles goofily at him. "Really?"_

The teen smiles at Nami. "Finally, right?"

And she returns that sentiment. "Right."

By the time Nami shoos him away, Sanji is done with breakfast, which slightly annoys her because while she doesn't mind talking with the crew when she first wakes, finishing just an ounce of a map sets her mood for the whole day. They each have small perks that make them happy and makes everyone else tolerable. Like the former warlord swimming in the mornings or Brook practicing songs.

She doesn't mind accompanying him to the kitchen in content silence. Usopp stays close to her, his eyes fleeting to her and away before she notices.

_He's hurting her._

The thoughts come back. The feelings come back. The dream returns and so do the whispers. He can feel it and all the sniper wants to do is scream and shout in a fit.

_She's not okay._

Stop.

_Liar._

Leave me alone.

_He's hurting her._

Get out of my head!

"You alright?"

Usopp looks up fleetingly to find himself still walking next to Nami, his fist tightened around the hem of her shirt. Although it's a question of consideration, Nami - willful, no-nonsense Nami - is glaring softly at him. It's a weird move; to hold the hem of her shirt. She probably thought he was trying to lift it and peek at her breasts. Which didn't make sense because Usopp was on the _receiving end_ of a strong committed relationship with their captain. Still, this was Nami. He'd get hit even if he told her why he wasn't okay.

"Yea-"

The slam of her fist on his head hits about three inches from his hairline; five from his ear. The same spot she's been hitting since East Blue. That spot's tough steel. "Then stop trying to lift my shirt, you creep."

Usopp rubs his head in feigned hurt. He glares at his friend out of the corner of his eye but hides his amusement like his fears. "I wasn't trying to, idiot. Why would I even thin- you know what? Forget it. There's no point in arguing with you."

Nami laughs and opens the kitchen door, holding it open for Usopp. "That's cause I'm always right."

Usopp smirks, but for different reason as he walks through the door and says proudly "such a gentleman, sir-Nami." It earns him another hit over the head. "Nami!" He yells incredulous.

"Hmph. Serves you right."

Usopp pulls out a chair for the navigator and plops beside her. He looks around the dining table to see everyone in their own conversations. Brook and Chopper are watching Luffy pull some stupid stunt with his plate. It's a trick Luffy had perfected to 'impress' him; by now, Usopp isn't impressed. Sanji is serving Robin and Franky food while Zoro-

"Where's Zoro?" Usopp asks aloud. The swordsman was usually in the kitchen right after Luffy. Not only as an early riser but a very high worshipper of keeping the body healthy and full.

Sanji glares hard at the table, Franky's plate almost cracking in his hand. It's only then the sniper notices the small gash on Sanji's lip. Jagged no doubt from the blade of a sword. Usopp bites his lip, but to no avail.

He bursts out laughing as the table grows confused. It's only Sanji that understands what his best friend is laughing at and the plate that was in his hand shatters.

"Bro!" Franky yells as his food splatters.

But Sanji isn't listening. He's too busy staring down Usopp. "Why don't you go and get Marimo out of the damn crow's nest, Usopp?"

Usopp shakes his head, still laughing as he stands. While he's walking, he mutters "Zoro must have the shoe print on his head, I guess."

Parts of the shattered plate hit the door. The teen shakes his head as he journeys to the crow's nest. There's a feeling in the pit of his stomach that tells him everything is okay. That these thoughts and dreams are only that. That he's just been exhausted and in need of some well-deserved rest. The crew is still the crew.

Zoro and Sanji still fight. Nami's always annoyed. Franky is still a kid at heart and Robin is still caring. Luffy's a damn idiot and Chopper and Brook indulge him. And Jinbe is Jinbe.

The sniper hears a splash of water and sees the helmsman come out of the sea partially. He nods. Still Jinbe. Still them. Everything will always be okay. Even if it's not perfect, it's okay.

_It's not okay, Usopp._

With a small frown, the teen quietly climbs the nest, ready to laugh in Zoro's face about the fight earlier. However, he stops when he pulls the door. He doesn't think anyone has ever heard Zoro sing. Luffy, maybe. The captain always catches their best moments. But no one else. Usopp leans an elbow on the nest floor, still hanging out. He rests his chin, a soft smile adorning his cheeks. How wonderful was it to be placed beside people that one could never tire of? How beautiful was it to find people who changed so often, they kept interesting?

Zoro's voice is melodic and deep, it's own catchy tune. It's as luring as the voice in Usopp's head and the sniper can't help that he drags a little closer to his friend's form.

"_Of all the comrades the I e'er had_

_They are sorry for my going away_

_And all the sweethearts that I had_

_They would wish me one more day to stay_

_But since it has_

_Unto my lot_

_That I should rise_

_And you should not."_

The swordsman is shirtless, giving a full display of every tear and bruise on his body over the lingering years. All but one are pink and rubbery. His own brown eyes linger on the black scar on his back. It's different. Black and matted. Taking the shape of a tree and its branches, the scar looks like poison. And that's because it is. The poison of darkness. Based on Nami's evaluation, the blood stops before it reaches that scar, and finds another course to flow.

There's no blood that runs through that scar, but sometimes, Usopp can see the branches move like veins. When Blackbeard had caught up to them last year, they weren't ready. Usopp glares at the scar and imagines the worst kind of fate for that pig. Next time, they would be.

_The scars on the back of the swordsman are his shame._

No doubt. This scar, only ever seen by the first five Strawhats - Sanji and Luffy intentionally, Usopp accidentally, and Nami demandingly - was Zoro's lesson. It was all theirs. Every scar they'd gotten from Blackbeard that day was their lesson.

The scars on Usopp's hands, the stitched line over Luffy's chest, the tree scar on Zoro, those are the most prominent scars. They're the ones that made Teach angriest. They're the ones that kept fighting.

_Those that continue to fight die._

And when Usopp stares at his warted hands that scare him, and the place where Luffy had to get his heart stitched back in, and that scar that makes Zoro act distant, he wants to cry. They should have stopped. They should have run back to the ship with the others. Luffy shouldn't have stayed behind. Zoro shouldn't have been so loyal to him. And Usopp shouldn't have loved him. But Luffy was selfless. And Zoro was his captain's Bushido. And Usopp didn't want to lose his love. And they got scars because of those simple beautiful mistakes.

The teen looks back up toward Zoro's back, but freezes. The swordsman isn't singing anymore. He not moving. But he's in water. There's water everywhere in the crow's nest. And Zoro is sinking in it.

Mud. Filthy water. Trees. It's a swamp.

He thinks that Zoro is holding onto the log before him, trying to stay above his watery demise, but it can't be. In all his years on the sea, Usopp knows death when he sees it. Of everyone on that ship, to him, his Japanese friend had the most beautiful eyes on that ship; bark brown, sharp, and mysterious. But now his open eyes are blackened out. Like a moment in space without stars. His mouth is open, his tongue is blue, his mouth is dried foam. And his face is bloated. Swelled and decaying.

Zoro isn't breathing, just sitting there like a statue. And the voice comes back.

_He's sinking._

A hand comes up much like a snake from the water. It's not Zoro's hand as it grabs the unresponsive man by his hair. And slowly, it drags Zoro down into the water.

_He's dead._

Usopp screams. It's so loud that his head instantly tremors. And what follows after makes his whole body ratchet. He hits the deck from the top of the crow's nest so hard, that he not only bounces up but the wood breaks too. And damn it hurts.

In his bleary vision, a newly alive Zoro slides down the crow's nest. "Usopp, what the hell is wrong with you?" Nonetheless, he crouches beside his friend and asks "are you okay? Why'd you scream?"

The pain in his body slowly goes down, but he groans in emotional pain. Zoro was dead.

_He's dead._

Usopp blinks. When he opens his eyes again, the entire crew is around him. He blinks again, Chopper is checking his heart rate.

"It's slow," the doctor frets.

He blinks again. Luffy is over him, that concerned look on his face. "What do you feel?"

_He's sinking. He's hurting her. He's out there._

Usopp groans as he looks around. Zoro's bloated face. The child in Brook's place. The tiredness in Nami's eyes. "Everything, love."

He blinks for a millisecond and Jinbe is laying him in the infirmary bed. When he blinks again, nothing comes after that. Just darkness and that voice. That fucking voice is back as he slips into whatever nap the crash forced upon him.

_Nothing is okay._

* * *

He groans when he wakes up and the first words out of his mouth are "What day is it?"

A shadow comes forward and he tenses slightly. "It's today. You've only been out for twenty minutes." Usopp calms himself. It's Luffy. The sniper slowly sits up with caution and stares at his boyfriend. The captain is staring back, his brows hardened and his face stubborn.

"What's wrong?"

_He's sinking._

"Why do you do that?"

Usopp sits up fully now. What he can comprehend is that Luffy is angry with him and Zoro is possibly in danger. What he can't comprehend is how. "Do what? Where's Zoro?"

Luffy crosses his arms. "Why do you say everything's okay when I want to know what's wrong with you? Why aren't you telling me things like you usually do?"

Usopp frowns. Luffy being angry is the absolute worst thing in the world. Because he isn't actually angry, he's just disappointed. And he won't tell you he's disappointed at all. Not until someone admits why he should be. And Usopp really hates when Luffy is angry at him specifically. Because for Luffy, the sniper could do no wrong in his eyes. Usopp was a literal angel when Luffy talked about and looked to him. So now he feels bad because everything is as horrible as it could be. He's seeing and hearing things and it's affecting his health and his trust. He can feel everything around him. But he doesn't know how to tell Luffy this. He doesn't know how to tell him that Blackbeard hurt Nami, that Zoro drowned, how Brook isn't Brook or the worst things that'll come to the rest of the crew.

He's crazy. He has to be. No one can see or hear the things he can. But it's _real._

"Usopp, just tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

_Liar._

His eyes tear up when Luffy crouches on the floor before him. "Usopp," he urges. It's the only thing Monkey D. Luffy ever has to say and Usopp turns to mush. He tells all his secrets and all his fears even when they make him look weak and stupid.

They stare at each other and he frowns. "I'm scared," he admits in a whisper. Like the voice in his head is going to hear him.

And Luffy whispers back as softly, pushing some of the dark curls away from his tears. "Scared of what? Is it a dream? Are you thinking too much? Is it Elbaf?"

The name Elbaf sends a small tremor through his body and everything bad comes to mind like a warning flare. Every possible horrible thing he could ever imagine comes to mind as he envisions Elbaf and the Thousand Sunny docking at the Kingdom. Death, despair, blood, death, death, death.

_Yes. yes. Yes._

Usopp shocks his head while staring his captain in the eyes. "No, no, no," he whispers. The tears are falling in rapid succession, but he can't blink. He can't close his eyes. He doesn't want to. It'll all disappear.

In response, Luffy grabs both sides of his face to stop the shaking. "No what?"

"No."

_Yes. _

Sanji being dragged away. Nami and Blackbeard. Robin being executed. Franky becoming a war machine. Brook afraid. Chopper lost. Jinbe tied down. Zoro sinking. Blood blood blood all over Luffy as a woman impales him in the chest.

"No!" the sniper screams and immediately throws his arms around Luffy's neck, nearly strangling the man as he hugs him close. Both their bodies rack as Usopp cries and Luffy holds him just as tight. "Don't leave me!"

"Usop-"

"_Please._ Don't go anywhere. Stay here. I can't lose you of all people. I can't."

"You won't."

"Not you. Not Luffy."

"I'm not leaving."

"I can't lose you."

And despite Luffy's reassurance and pleas, Usopp never lets go and he never stops begging and he never stops crying. Not even when he falls asleep. Because the voice never stops telling him.

_Yes. Luffy's gone. Yes. Luffy left. Yes. Luffy's lost. Yes yes yes._

Like a horror movie it plays again in his mind as if somehow, his brain was unwilling to let the images go. He knows the more he tries to suppress it the more it plays again, but the voice won't let it go. Luffy was dying. Being impaled in the chest over and over and over again.

"No," Usopp whispers in his sleep.

* * *

**Next stop: Elbaf and the incident. Which will be another long chapter. I wanted this to be a oneshot, but I feel bad for having you guys wait. It'll just take longer because I want my stories to be interesting for you. Anyway, let me get to it. More Lusopp on the way because they're so cute.**


	2. To Those I've Lost

**To Those I've Lost**

_Wake up._

Usopp blinks into existence. His arms stretch before anything, searching idly for Kabuto. It's here. The man breaths in relief and calms down a little. And then the arms reach to the right. Luffy isn't here. Sniper eyes are best when they're cautious and Usopp is always cautious. He looks around the room. There in the corner with his arms crossed and his sleepy eyes lazy is Zoro, posted in the dark like an owl. Usopp frowns at the swordsman. "Why are you watching me like I'm a prisoner?"

"Danger," Zoro mumbles in reply.

_Chichichi. He's sinking._

Admittedly, that hurts. If anything, Usopp was trying to keep everyone safe. They're in danger. All of them. The only problem is, he doesn't know if it's real or not. He doesn't know where the voice or the images or the thoughts come from. And he voices his hurt to Zoro although it looks feigned. "I'm actually very offended that you think I'm a danger to the crew."

"Not the crew. Yourself." Silence. Zoro looks up and stares at him intensely. "Why've you been acting all weird these past days?"

The sniper's brows furrow. "Weird?"

"Weird," the green haired man confirms. "First you cling to Brook like he'll disappear. Which was unusual because you don't do that with anyone unless it's Luffy, Nami, the cook, or me."

Usopp smiles. What Zoro says is very true. The first five Strawhats are unconsciously drawn to one another like magnets. They don't know why. It just happens. It's just natural. "Are you jealous?" He jokes.

"I'm serious."

"Sorry."

"And then you wake up in the middle of the night and keep checking the girl's room and scouring the ship like we're in danger."

There's a crushing blow to Usopp's stomach that feels a lot like embarrassment. "You know about that?" He whispers. It does explain why Zoro was so quick to indirectly defend him by attacking Sanji.

Zoro smiles at him. "I know everything that happens with this crew." They're silent in one another's presence before Zoro frowns and comes to an epiphany. "And yesterday. Falling from the crow's nest as someone with your physique shouldn't have hurt you like it did. But Chopper said…" it's not about that. Not falling and hurting himself. For Zoro, it was not being able to stop the fall. Not being able to save him. Just like Drum Kingdom.

_He's sinking._

For a millisecond, Zoro's eyes blacken and foam comes from his mouth and his tongue turns blue. Usopp swallows thick saliva, looking away when his head spins. "Chopper said," he urges.

"You're malnourished or somethin'. Said you ain't eat in days. So what's the problem, huh? Why are you so scared?"

Usopp gets quiet and frowns. So they notice what happens, but they can't hear the voice. The voice is so loud and prominent in his mind that it doesn't surprise him anymore when he hears it. In fact, he waits for it.

_Nothing is okay._

Yeah. There it is. Usopp turns on his side to look at his friend. "Not scared. Just tired."

Zoro smirks and to anyone else, it looks like a dangerous smirk. One that says 'I'll kill you when you aren't looking.' But the crew knows Zoro. This dangerous smirk is about as playful and mischievous as the swordsman can get. "You've slept enough by now."

"Yup." He smiles softly, popping the P. "So it's okay."

_Liar._

Biting his lip, Usopp asks his friend. "What was that song you were singing yesterday?"

Zoro crosses his arms and relaxes in his chair. "I think it's called the Parting Glass. Or somethin' like it."

"Did you grow up with it or d-"

Zoro leans closer as if telling a secret. "No. Not at all. Before I met Luffy and before I turned myself into Morgan, I'd been going around with no purpose really. You know, I told you. Just trying to prove my name." Usopp nods and laughs softly. "I went to a lot of places and met a lot of different people. And it was good for me to pick up small cultures I found. That song. I heard it 80 miles from where Cocoyashi is."

The wounded smiles big and bright and it's infectious because Zoro smiles too. "Where Bellemere found Nami," he concludes.

Zoro nods. "Those people there, most of them look like her, from what I remember. So of course when I met her, I wanted to keep the song in my head. Just so I could understand her more."

"Can you sing the whole thing?"

"No." It's Zoro's answer without hesitation or emotion.

"Come on. You've got a good voice."

"No"

"I like it."

Zoro sighs. "Fine, but if you even think about say-"

"I won't say anything, Zoro. I promi-"

"_Of all the money that I e'er had_

_I have spent it in good company  
And all the harm that e'er I've done  
Alas, it was to none but me _

_And all I've done for want of wit_

_To memory now I can't recall  
So fill to me the parting glass  
Good night and joy be with you all_

_Of all the comrades that e'er I've had  
They are sorry for my going away  
And all the sweethearts that e'er I've had  
They would wish me one more day to stay"_

The song is beautiful for what it truly is; a pirate's song. And Usopp can't help but to hum along while his friend sings. It fits Zoro. Truly. If it isn't swords or honor...if nothing else fits him, the song does.

"It fits you the most." Usopp stares in confusion. "You were speaking out of mind." His mouth forms an oh shape but Zoro dismisses it. "It does. It's a song about bravery and leadership. It's about knowing when to fight and when not to."

"Can I hear the rest?"

Zoro obliges and sings quietly in the room.

"_But since it falls unto my lot  
That I should rise and you should not  
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call  
Good night and joy be with you all_

_A man may drink and not be drunk  
A man may fight and not be slain  
A man may court a pretty girl  
And perhaps be welcomed back again_

_But since it has so ought to be  
By a time to rise and a time to fall  
Come fill to me the parting glass  
Good night and joy be with you all  
Good night and joy be with you all."_

Usopp knows when the song is over although he's never heard it before. And a warm feeling spreads through his chest like honey. He hasn't had many of those warm feelings in the past few days, so he cherishes it and savors it, pulling Luffy's cover over his mouth and inhaling deeply. And the honey spreads slowly, consuming every organ within.

"Where's Luffy?"

"In the kitchen." They sit in solitude for another moment, enjoying the other's company before Zoro mutters "he's okay, you know," as a matter of fact.

"Hm? Oh, I know."

_Luffy's lost._

"Just telling you. He said….he said that you were afraid to lose him."

"I'm afraid to lose all of you."

"Yeah, but you love him."

Usopp actually laughs. There are things in life that are so beautiful, they hurt. Like loving people. "I love all of you. Like Sanji. I like when he smiles when he cooks because it's genuine. And when he wakes up to cook, but he peeks in on everyone to see if they're okay. I love that about him. Understand?" Zoro nods. "And you..." Zoro groans. "I like when you try to act tough but the smallest things make you smile. Like Luffy falling in the water or me acting a fool or Sanji sitting food in front of you when he thinks you're sleeping."

"Okay."

"And you get really happy when you carve your statues and you can sing. It's wonderful."

"I'll cut you."

Usopp laughs heartily. "Alright alright. But you see? I love you all. I'm just _in_ love with Luffy."

Zoro frowns and messes with his hair. "Sometimes I think you love him too much."

Usopp snorts. "And you don't?"

"He's my captain."

"Mine too."

"Usopp, I'm serious. When I chose to sacrifice my life for Luffy, I thought about it. And I think about it all the time." He looks at his friend's hands. "You never think. And you best everyone at that. Thinking I mean. But anytime his life is on the line, you jump in front of him. You take his place without word, without warning. And sometimes, it's things that Luffy can take care of, you know? That's what bothers me. You throw yourself in front of him like some goddamn angel and you shouldn't."

He knows he shouldn't be, but Usopp is partially offended now. "And you should? Zoro, Luffy is my boyfriend. If anyone sh-"

"Exactly. So shouldn't you be taking care of yourself more? Wouldn't it hurt Luffy if you were here one day and then suddenly gone? And he knew it was because of him?"

"Zoro, that's why we're here. We have to do everything in our power to make sure he gets the One Piece and rules the seas. Not just to be free, not just to be famous, but so we can change the world."

"Usopp, listen to yourself. It's one thing to die for a man, but you're _living_ for him."

"So are you."

Zoro puts a hand before himself as if trying to control his anger. Usopp's angry. In fact, he's livid. But it's not Zoro. Not even close. He doesn't want to fight. Not when something is threatening Zoro. Not when he could lose him. "Usopp, I try to let it go from time to time, but it's getting ridiculous. Ever since we entered the New World, you've been acting like your life means nothing. And I'm all for you being this brave god, but you can't live his life."

"His life is min-"

It happens in a flash. Zoro getting up. Zoro knocking the chair over. Zoro grabbing him by the shirt. Zoro slamming their foreheads together. "Fucking christ, look at your hands."

"Z-zoro. Stop. You're hurting me."

"Look at your hands. Not just your hands, Usopp. Look at your arms. Look at the black marks around every important organ you have. Do you have any idea how scared he was when he found out that Blackbeard could have killed you? How fucked up he was to know that you stayed behind for him? Do you have any idea how scared I was?"

_Nothing's okay._

Usopp continues to stare stubbornly at the ground, all the while dangling in the air by the wrath of a protective Zoro. He hated this. He hated that this was the best way Zoro could show how much he cared; being brutally honest and cutting deep like his swords.

"Look at me." The raven looks up and now Zoro is staring him down. "I'm going to say this once and for all, Usopp. You're strong. The world knows God Usopp is strong. But dammit, Usopp, you're human. You're not Luffy. There are things he can handle that you just can't. That fear that you have of losing everyone. We all have it. But you have to understand that ever since we got in the New World, for you, Luffy's had it nonstop. He's worried about you. And you acting crazy isn't helping."

"Fine."

"Fine, what?"

The sniper yanks away half-heartedly. "Fine, I'll be careful. Fine, I'll talk about my feelings. Fine."

"Good." They sit in silence for another moment, both friends calming down from the heated debate.

_Chichichi. He's sinking._

Usopp frowns. "I'm sorry," he admits. "I'm God Usopp, but I'm also human. I'll think next time, okay? Are we good?"

Zoro nods and repeats himself. "We're always good, idiot. We're Nakama. Now let's get something to eat."

Usopp smiles and bumps shoulders with the swordsman. "I was waiting on you to stop talking. I'm starving."

"Shut up." But it's half-hearted so Usopp doesn't.

On their way to the kitchen, Usopp can't help but stare around wearily. He's looking for small things out of place. Not Blackbeard, not the lost child, and not the swamp. He's looking for something far more sinister. Something that was on the ship, but not all at once. A living being.

_So close, sniper._

The honey that was in his chest because of Zoro's voice and Luffy's smell has turned to mud, leaking into every corner of his heart. The closer they get to Elbaf, the more dangerous and present this feeling becomes. The more confident the voice gets. It's feeding off of him. The weakest in the bunch, growing stronger and stronger the more he gets scared.

_Smart boy._

Usopp frowns. 'I won't let you win,' he tells it. 'I won't let you hurt my friends. You can't have them. You can't take them away from this world. They have dreams.' His friends have dreams and he would _die_ before they even strayed from their paths. 'You can't have them.'

_You fool!_ It's angry now, showing emotion that it hadn't since they met two days ago. _I do not want them. God Usopp...God Usopp is all I seek. All I accept. All I will have._

"Hey." Their argument ends with Zoro calling him out of the spiritual world. He looks up at his friend with clouded eyes, dangerous and narrowed and on guard. "No crazy stuff, okay?"

Usopp blinks his tears away rapidly. He wishes they knew. God, he feels so alone and afraid. And he's fighting for them. Fighting something that's not even real. He wishes they saw the things he saw and heard the things he heard. He wishes they felt the darkness, air, and silence. But no one would believe him.

_Liar._

The sniper nods. "No crazy stuff." The two walk into the kitchen and both are suddenly engulfed in loud cheers and claps. All for Usopp.

"Yeah. You're not sick anymore!"

"You're alive!"

The sniper laughs jovially and loudly. "Alright. Alright. You can all stop you're crying now. A little fall can't hurt me. I'm invincible."

_Liar._

Usopp sits in the seat directly perpendicular to the captain's seat. Immediately after, the man yelps as a heavy weight is pressed down on his head. The God lifts the object and realizes he's staring from beneath the infamous straw hat. Luffy is staring at his plate with a stubborn look, his lips sucked in between bites. "Luffy," he whispers, more embarrassed by Luffy's public affection and favoritism.

"Shut up," the rubber man smiles and continues eating as if he gives the hat freely every day.

For the first time in two days, breakfast is a jovial thing; even before they all begin eating as Sanji serves them. Luffy is served before everyone on most occasions. And then served again. Despite Sanji being a lovesick dog and treating the girls better than most, Luffy was the cook's main priority. It was he who Sanji would discreetly look to when he wanted the crew to try a new dish. It was he who had accepted the All Blue just as quickly as Sanji had expressed his dream. It was Luffy who's acceptance Sanji would always seek. He was a simple cook. But when it came down to it, the prince served his king with grace.

When the eggs are passed around, Sanji is most pleased with himself. "I tried a Parsley recipe fathe- Zeff would cook for me all the time. Try it," he suggests. "It's good."

And he doesn't really have to suggest because...well, he's Sanji, the greatest cook on Grand Line and in the new world. He could take mud and make pies. Everyone digs in.

Usopp notices Chopper blanch. The reindeer gulps. "I don't really like parsley. I won't eat this."

Sanji's lips purse outward. Usopp knows it's coming. Either something along the lines of 'well why don't you eat my foot instead, you stuffed animal' or 'shove it, emergency food supply.' He gasps before any of that happens and deliberately ignores the way Zoro and Luffy look at him with intense eyes. He's not glass. He's not glass. He's not glass.

_You'd break so easily._

"Chopper, did I hear you right? You said you won't eat the parsley?" The reindeer nods as if it's the most vile thing on the planet. "Really, Chop? After everything I went through just so people could have parsley? You know, I expected this from Luffy, but not you to be ungrateful."

Now Chopper's interested. The whole crew is actually. It's the start of one of Usopp's great tales and what better time to hear it other than when they're eating. "What? What did you do, Usopp?"

Usopp shrugs. "It's a long story, I doubt you wa-"

"I want to hear it!"

Luffy, Brook, and Chopper yell this at the same time and Usopp smirks down at the wood before him. "Well, long before I met the then straw hat trio, my village was plagued by a dark king by the name of Inphlu Mation."

"Inflammation?" Robin questions, half amused.

"No. Inphlu Mation. Anyway, Inphlu was a very odd man. And it wasn't just that he had 40 toes and seven eyes."

"Ill," Nami interjects. Chopper shushes her.

"And it wasn't because he slept upside down wrapped in string either. What was so odd about him was that he was simply too nice. He protected us from the outside world, laying his life on the line every night to make sure no foreign invaders would come in. He was a great healer, often spending his time in battle as a peacekeeper. Someone who wanted to expand the world, not take from it. Heck, he would even heal us when the children scraped their knees climbing trees and the adults cut their hands cooking." Between a mouthful, the sniper smiles. "Sure, his healing would sting but it healed nicely. For all that, he requested one thing from us. It was that we never eat parsley. He would heal, serve, and protect so long as we didn't eat the vegetable. Pretty simple."

"Wow, this Influ sounds like a pretty nice guy." Chopper is leaning on the table now, absentmindedly eating his food. Usopp's eyes go to the parsley on his plate. 'So close,' he thinks.

"Absolutely. But what did I tell you? If it looks too good to be true…"

"It probably is."

"Atta boy. So anyway, two years into King Influ Mation's reign, bad things start to happen. Horrible things. Terrible even. The people started to get sick. And not the sick that made you cough and sneeze. It was a sick that made you dead. Heart disease, arthritis, strokes, even Lupus!" Chopper gasped. "At a very young age, I was always good at finding cures and answers. So it was no surprise that the villagers sent me out.

And set out I did. I went everywhere, Chopper. To the snowy parts and the heated parts of Syrup village."

"I didn't know Syrup was that big," Luffy interrupts.

"It isn't. It's just a story," Nami tells him.

"It's not just a story, Nami. It's real."

Nami scowls at Chopper's statement.

"Anyway. I went everywhere. And yet, I couldn't find a cure. What was I to do? How could I save them? And then it hit me, Chopper. We had a king who could do anything...fix anything. And so I ventured into the center of the village and called upon King Inphlu. Immediately, he answered, as we saw him as a supportive leader. But, when I asked if he could cure the villagers of all the heart disease and strokes, the arthritis and lupus, he said he couldn't. The only thing that could was strictly forbidden. And so I asked why. Why was parsley so forbidden?"

Usopp frowns as he stares at the table. He wants Chopper to believe this fable. It's something so simple as eating a vegetable and keeping Sanji calm, but he knows it's for the greater good. A brave warrior should be able to move people above anything. And if he can't get Chopper to eat this parsley, then he isn't a brave warrior. He isn't a born leader.

"And immediately, he grows cold and distant. His eyes darken and he looks down. Instead of telling me why, Inphlu tells me I should stay in my place. I should enjoy my commoner life while I still have it. It's short and unworthy and shouldn't be wasted. I had never heard him speak like this. And as I left the castle, there an uneasy feeling stayed in the bottom of my stomach. I needed to find out what was so bad about parsley."

"Did you? Did you?"

"I did," he mumbles quietly, sadly. The Straw Hat crew go silent as they continue eating. "The information was so deeply buried, it took years for me to understand. And in those years, Syrup grew smaller and smaller. We lost people and we lost territory. That's why it's so small today. But I never gave up. I never gave up until I found out what was wrong with parsley."

"What was wrong with it?"

"Nothing." Chopper gasps. "That's right. Nothing was wrong with parsley. Except that it fought a little something named inflammation. Back in those times, it went by Inphlu." Robin giggles behind her hand. "Apparently, Inphlu was able to heal us, but in order for him to live longer, he needed to feed off our deaths. He needed the heart disease and strokes, the arthritis and lupus. And he requested that no one eat parsley so it wouldn't kill him early."

Chopper frowns. He's not much of a kid anymore. He's just turned 18, but he still believes in the stories. If nothing else, he believes in the stories. "But you're Usopp. You defeated him. No matter what you did and how long it took, you defeated him. I know you did." He sounds almost unsure of himself.

_You could never._

Usopp grins. "Of course I did. It took years, though….and a lot of parsley. But the more and more people don't eat parsley, the stronger he grows in the shadows he's locked in. We can't fight him if we don't eat it."

"Aah! I'm gonna eat my parsley for sure then!" Chopper looks down at his now empty plate. And then he looks up at his captain with a look. "Luffy!"

Usopp smiles. "He didn't eat it, Chop. You did. I watched you."

And then the reindeer is elated. Apparently, he did and apparently, it wasn't so bad. He praises Usopp. They all do. Cheering in this automatic but sincere way. That's what kind of crew they are; they support one another's dreams. And by now, they know the fables aren't just stories anymore. They're things that are true; will happen and have happened. Things that gain followers. And yet all the while, while Usopp is being congratulated on his unique leadership Haki and how good he is with people following him, he can hear her in the back of his head. Right in the corner.

_God Usopp is all I seek. All I accept. All I will have._

They disperse from the kitchen one by one. They each know what's coming up and getting ready is the only thing they have free reign to do on the Thousand Sunny. All that's left in the kitchen is all that should be left. The East Blue Crew. It's a tradition that Nami started; where she recaps their journey with her boys and they give their own opinions.

Zoro falls asleep at his seat. And Sanji knocking him over the head when he gathers his dishes doesn't wake him. Usopp quietly wonders how long in the night the swordsman just stared at his sleeping form, trying to protect him from whatever crazy shit was happening in his head.

Nami stays at her seat too, carving maps with the pen she keeps on her all the time. Zoro is going to wake up in approximately four minutes, so she has time to carve the tree of Elbaf before then.

Sanji stays at the counter, washing up the dishes. But even when he's done, he doesn't leave. The cook stalls by wiping the counter, waiting for one of them to speak.

Somehow, with a little sweet talk and tugging, Usopp has drifted into Luffy's lap, letting his captain smother him in love and coddling while they quietly fight for the Straw Hat. Luffy wants it just because….it's rightfully his. Usopp wants it because he wants to keep Luffy's attention….he's rightfully his.

The rubber man laughs quietly when Usopp pinches his side and grabs the hat. "Stop," he whispers to the sniper.

"You stop," he whispers back. Luffy manages to get the hat back though. And he stretches his neck away each time Usopp grabs for it. The sniper realizes that this means no more pinching and tickling for him. He sighs and crosses his arms. "Fine. I'll stop."

Luffy's coarse hands land on his thigh. "Good, now that you stopped, you can stay." He pulls the man in his lap even closer and just does what he does. It's ironic of Luffy. To have such hard hands as a Rubber man and to be so clueless on love, but can land whispers in an ear like an exploding star on a target.

"Usopp's pretty when he's angry. Usopp's mine." It continues on and the victim goes through a number of phases each time something is whispered. Blushing softly, giggling, shock when Luffy has the balls to whisper such vile things to him. And it could continue on. Usopp knows. It could continue on for hours until they crack. Until Usopp climbs on the table or Luffy bites his lip in frustration and throws him there. But someone fucks it up and clears their throat.

Usopp sighs through his nose, a clear indication of annoyance. Luffy sighs through his mouth, a clear sign of relief. He knows his limit and it's that he doesn't have one. Had they not been interrupted, the captain with no control would have slain Usopp on the table right in front of everyone. So he's glad for the moment.

Nami smiles innocently at the botanist and kicks Zoro under the table.

"What the he-"

"In three hours, we hit Elbaf, the land of the giants." They all go silent. Yes, they've spoken about this, but it never really sinks in until they're close. It never changes. Not for Fishman, not for Whole Cake, Not for Wano. It doesn't change. It's a significant place in their journeys, marked by days and the number of times Nami writes in her journal. Nami pulls a map from God knows where and puts it on the table.

"In old maps, I noticed that there was always a vacancy here. It's a port. We dock here. But we've never been here. I don't know what this grey line reaching to the sky is, but we'll know."

Sanji comes to sit at the table. He looks at the tree and the colors and remembers all over again how good the navigator is at painting the world. "Do you want to split up teams now or wait until we get there? Map out the kingdom and then figure out our tasks before the Log Pose resets?"

"Now is a good a time as any to split teams."

There's an uneasy feeling that passes through Usopp's heart and one of the cupboards crack quietly. He's the only one that notices and he stares at a spot near the counter for a very long time. Someone's there. Just not _there._

"I think.." his voice cracks. He clears it. "I think we should stay together. Or at least try." It's beyond their control, but it's best to have a plan to stay together.

Nami goes to ask why.

Luffy shakes his head. "We stay together." It's blatant favoritism. It isn't what he really says. No. What he really says is 'what Usopp says, goes.' But no one really cares anymore. Even if Luffy hadn't said a word, the sniper's suggestion wouldn't have been taken lightly. He would simply be questioned and then approved. It happens with them all. But for Usopp, when Luffy says don't question him, no one usually does.

"Stay together it is then. Are we… are we all ready for Elbaf?"

The silence is an almost eerie one. Nami doesn't ask unless it truly matters.

Sanji smirks and goes to light a cigarette. "What the hell. I'm as ready as I can be. I'll be making us personal snack packs in the next three hours."

Zoro nods. "I'm always ready." And it's all he has to say. He's going to train in the crow's nest for the next three hours.

Luffy just smirks beneath his hat.

Usopp smiles. "Come on, N. It's _Elbaf_. I've been ready since Little Garden." He wants to protest. He wants to scream and shout and cry. He wants to let the snot run down his nose and his face to get red. He wants to tell them that everything that he's been seeing will be true. It's always like that for Usopp. His lies and the things he tells himself end up sitting in his face. He wants them to know that if they go to Elbaf, bad things will happen. If they go, they'll die. But he can't bring himself to it.

Nami smiles wide at everyone. "Then I know I'm ready too. With you four protecting me, I'll be safe."

_He's hurting her._

Usopp stays in the kitchen by himself when everyone files out. He sits there and contemplates on how they'll go about this. How he can keep them safe and possibly how he can _not_ go to Elbaf.

Elbaf, or rather the voice coming from it, whispers bad news in his ear, feeding off him night by night, moment by moment.

_Chichic-_

The man stands abruptly. "You heard me the first time. I won't repeat myself."

When he leaves the kitchen in a haste, he doesn't hear it whisper by the cupboards. He doesn't see it shimmer into existence for a millisecond, its face wretched and its eyes glowing. _Just you._

It's the last time it speaks...for a long time.

Remembering Zoro's words, Usopp composes himself when he makes it out of the stuffy kitchen. The upper deck of the Thousand Sunny is quiet, the ship's crew doing their own activities before they reach shore. He smiles softly. Once again, they're still his crew. Still the Straw Hats.

"Alway- ooh." Before he can blink, the God is being dragged away from the main deck by his hair. "Ouch. Ouch." And then he lands softly. The suspect is staring down at him with a large grin on his face. "Luffy, you idiot."

"Shishishi. Usopp's always scared."

The other smiles softly, in a sad sort of way. In a way, he is. And sometimes he thinks, even when he becomes the bravest warrior of them all, he always will be. "Yeah," he mumbles as Luffy is distracted by a small sore on his arm. "Usopp's always scared."

Luffy finally looks back up at him, his large brown eyes the last innocent thing about him. It's the eyes, Usopp thinks. It was always the eyes that pulled him close. But then Luffy gives off a half grin that isn't really a smirk but has the same effect. He's a drug that only Usopp is hip to, intoxicating and addictive and life-threatening. Zoro was right. And now he wishes he knew how to quit Luffy.

"Always. But he's brave. Braver than me." They stay quiet for a moment watching each other. Luffy blinks. "Do you think of her?"

_Her_ is very vague, but there's one her in Usopp's past that Luffy physically knows of. He's never debunked the theory that he had feelings for her. Then again, there was no theory.

"Seldom." The Monkey stares confused by the word and him being the idiot that he is makes Usopp fall in love all over again. "Sometimes, Luffy. Like when I fulfill my dream and I see everyone fulfill there's, I'd like to go back, if only for a moment to see what they think of me. But this is my family. I can't even imagine a life without the Straw Hat pirates."

For such an unromantic person, it's not the answer Luffy was looking for. But Usopp doesn't want to talk about Syrup Village and Kaya. There's no feeling but remembrance in his heart. "You might not have been my first love, but you were the love that made all the other loves irrelevant. You know that."

"Of course I know that."

"Well then, you should know that Monkey D. Luffy is my only thought. You're so stupid and funny and brave and selfless and-"

"Hush."

"Oddly smart and handsome. You're my favorite as much as I am yours."

"Hush," he says. And he kisses Usopp's eyelids, then his lips. And the kiss continues on past the point where he usually breaks off. Then, slowly, he pulls away.

Usopp grabbed his shoulder. "Luffy, please, please-"

And the captain was kissing him again, and slipping the overall straps down his shoulders. His strong and gentle hands began to stroke Usopp; his hands, his lips, his tongue.

That was their love affair. Wordless, blinkered, a nighttime thing, a dream thing. There were reasons on Usopp's side for this as well. Whatever it was that he wanted was best revealed slowly, in a flattering light. Which meant not much light at all. Besides, that's the way it went in adolescence, especially for the captain and his sniper; especially since they were 17. You try things out in the dark. You get drunk or stoned and extemporize. It's a kind of fugue state, anyway, early sex. Before the routine sets in, or the love. But the love came so fast for them as if it was always there.

Nearly three years into their relationship - with love as real as the sea - there were still inexperienced. Still fumbling and trying to understand how things worked.

Luffy climbs atop his boyfriend and like always, Usopp moves to accommodate him, spreading his legs and throwing an arm around his back. With the rubber man just staring down at him in half amusement half lust, hands fisted into the sheets on either side of his head, Usopp almost wakes up. He's awake, but he can almost wake up. He can swim up to the surface of consciousness before diving again. His eyelids flutter and responsiveness enters his body and he throws his head back to offer up his throat.

Luffy waits though. He always does. He wants Usopp to acknowledge exactly what they're doing, but he's scared; inexperienced. Usopp only glares. "Luffy come o-"

The captain presses against him. He takes the back of Usopp's thighs in his hands, adjusting his legs around his own waist. And then he reaches under the sniper, bringing him up so their chests kiss and whisper. And then his body, like a cathedral, breaks out into ringing.

And here, hours before Elbaf, Usopp doesn't mind being rocked and loved and simply endeared. Luffy is the only healthy drug there is, the one that puts his mind into a frenzy of sparks. The simple touch of his hand leads Usopp moving in ways he never learned but knows so well. The feelings rock his head backward as his neck is kissed and his body pushed into.

They engulf his senses and steal away his worries. In that moment, he's only alive in the present, all thoughts of past and future melted away. This medicine Luffy brings heals him; and though Usopp is addicted, he feels safe because Luffy is equally addicted as well.

* * *

Somewhere after, between the high of lust and the low of exhaustion, Usopp had fallen asleep and was awoken by Luffy shaking his shoulder.

He hummed as he unconsciously stared at the face before him. Luffy was smiling. Luffy was elated. "We reach Elbaf in twenty minutes, Nami says. Ain't you excited?"

There was no sad feeling in his core, just elation as well. "Mhm."

"Then come on….look what I got you."

The sniper takes time to sit up fully, rubbing his eyes as he wakes up. There on the floor of the captain's quarters is a bath bucket.

The tub was fashioned from tin and beaten into shape with a flat hammer. It was just big enough for a child to sit in and the water was never more than tepid. But they used it on the Going Merry a lot, especially for Luffy. "Remember Nami would force me in here?" Usopp does. He remembers when the condition of living in the jungle with his brothers was so instilled in Luffy, their captain hardly took baths. And he remembers days when he reeked so badly, Usopp found it hard to kiss him and Nami found it hard to tolerate him. But then, Nami started to make Usopp get Luffy in the bath. And that had turned into Luffy wanting to bathe the sniper. And the tradition stuck. After good loving, Luffy would give him a soft bath. And Usopp would feel cherished and happy and strong.

He's not wearing anything as he stands out of bed and stretches. He slides down into the water and groans at the temperature. "It feels good," he murmurs. Luffy only nods and crouches beside him, already lathering his hair with shampoo. His head is a tangle of curls and knots. But it's always clean and moisturized.

And when Luffy washes it, it feels like all the thoughts are being washed away. Usopp can't remember a thing from the prior two days; not the swamp or the hurt or the boy. He can't remember the feelings that came with anything. And most of all, he can't remember the voice, leaving him vulnerable and confused, wondering if there was a voice at all.

But the feelings of confusion aren't strong enough for the love Usopp is being smothered in. Usopp glances up at the captain, who's so focused on cleaning his shoulders, and then looks back down in shyness like a child. On a simple day, the other could simply care without thought. On his best days, Monkey D. Luffy could make even Boa Hancock feel less of a romantic. Usopp likes to believe that when Luffy loves him, he loves him without thought; without training; without hesitation. He likes to believe that it comes as natural as fighting for the captain.

Usopp blushes even deeper when the man's hands run over the dark veins over his heart, lungs and liver. The same ones on his hands. The same on Zoro's back. He tries not to notice the way the Monkey scrubs those places; hard and diligently as if the marks would go away. As if what Blackbeard did could be erased and Usopp simply wasn't scrubbing hard enough.

The sniper frowns when he thinks of Zoro's previous words.

_Do you have any idea how scared he was when he found out that Blackbeard could have killed you?_

Oh he had an idea alright. He isn't a fool. He knows that the love Luffy has for him specifically has changed over the years. It's a strong love, bordering on the edge of possessive. Right on the ledge of a fetish. A problem almost.

Usopp knows. When Luffy had refused to deny that the sniper was his favorite, when he had admitted with guilt his thoughts about just Usopp during their two years apart, he knew. Luffy was in love with his soul. And he loved the God like he was the last of his kind.

"Stop thinking." Luffy's firm voice breaks him of his thoughts and his arm is being pulled into a warm fluffy towel to dry. He's standing too although he can't remember when he stood. "I don't like when you think."

Oh yes. He's heard it before. Apparently, when he thinks, powerful things happen. It had developed into something tremendous over the years. How Usopp could blandly execute something the world never imagined all because he spent time thinking about it. He was supposed to be a thinker. He was supposed be observant because in all, a sniper's mind was his greatest asset. But sometimes, Sanji says, he thinks too much and too often. And most times, Sanji says, it scares him.

He can't fathom what they want from him. Sanji says he thinks too much. Luffy doesn't like him thinking at all. Zoro says he doesn't think enough about his own life.

"I'm not," he lies.

Luffy doesn't listen. "You promised Zoro you'd stop thinking."

The other tenses. Zoro told Luffy? About the- of course he would. He's a Bushido. Loyal to his captain first. But it doesn't stop the blood in those black veins of his heart to clog for a millisecond. They were talking about him…. about his behavior...behind his back. They probably thought he was crazy.

The sniper says nothing as he goes to slip on his overalls. His hair is damp, still dripping on the floor. But he doesn't care.

"We weren't talking about you like that."

He knows exactly what 'like that' means, and even though Luffy would never lie on his life, Usopp couldn't ignore that they were talking. How could they even? They didn't know what he saw or heard. What he felt or feared. "I didn't say that," he replies rigidly.

"But you're thinking it."

Usopp turns around in hostility. He's being penalized for something as simple as wondering what's said about him when he knows he's going batshit crazy. "Okay. So what if I am? My boyfriend and one of my best friends think I'm going crazy. But instead of talking to me about it, you have Zoro watching me like I'm a danger to myself and relaying information back to you like some spy."

He's bitter about it no doubt. But only because it's true. Zoro watching him? True. Telling Luffy? Admitted by the captain himself. Him going crazy? He knows. And being a danger to himself? Absolutely. Still, he thinks hard, it's the principle.

"You scoured the ship for an hour with Kabuto and your more deadly ammunition. Without alerting anyone." Well, when he put it that way-

"That was for our own good."

"From what? Don't you trust Franky's eyes when he has watch."

Usopp turns away. "I forgot he was up there."

"Liar." That stings. Like fire even if it is true. And Luffy knows that. "Usopp, I'm sor-"

"Leave it."

There are things Usopp would like everyone to know about his relationship with Luffy; he does not forgive easily. He is simply embarrassed for his captain, because he knows full well the other can't win. Not when Usopp gets upset and juts his bottom lip out and hisses like a child. Not then. And he can't stand to see his captain make a fool of himself. Despite wanting to stomp and throw things like Sanji does on occasion, he has no choice but to forgive Luffy.

"You're not really mad, are you?"

And really he isn't. Usopp's anger isn't anger at all; it's disappointment. And it's a stinging fire that only takes an apology to calm the flames, a smile to blow the fuse, and a kiss to clear the smoke. He rubs at his arm. "Not really. But I just wish you'd tell me your concerns instead of making me uncomfortable in my own skin. Like…" he pauses, feeling uncomfortable even now. "You can talk to me about what I'm thinking about."

It's a pure story. There's no way in hell Usopp could ever tell Luffy about the things that have happened. But reassuring him that he was willing to try was enough for the rubber man. And he smiled that stupid bright smile - the one where his eyes would clench shut and his lower lip was crooked - without a thought. "Okay!"

Usopp smiles at the way his captain could appear so innocent and naive. "You want to know what I was thinking about?"

"Yeah."

"How I forget sometimes… that you love me."

Luffy laughs. "Usopp can be stupid sometimes."

The darker man laughs.

After that small intervention - Usopp refuses to call it anything else - the two head up to the main deck where the rest of the crew is securing the sails and getting ready to dock. Nami spots them and Usopp waves as if she's further away and not right above them. She smiles and points ahead. And sure enough, those not doing a thing as they dock can stare ahead with the Thousand Sunny at the great tree of Elbaf. They'd seen it in the distance when they reached the New World, hovering over the region like a God.

And Usopp can't contain the excitement that goes through his veins. Robin smiles and repeats the name of the tree for those who forgot.

"Aschebaum, the tree of all things."

No one actually forgot. Not the East Blue Crew. Not Usopp. He'd studied Elbaf even during his training with Heracles, memorizing and soaking in all information like a den den mushi. He wanted to bathe in the essence of knowing what the Land of the Giants was all about. So that if he ever chose to stay - if they would have him - he would fit in. He'd be one of the warriors.

The ship comes to a slow stop and Usopp can barely hold in his excitement. Sanji is the first to speak and move, smoothly moving between the crew and handing them medium sized bags. He bows to Nami. "For you mademoiselle."

And then to Robin. "My dearest Robin. Your favorites."

And then he stops to look at Luffy, Chopper, Brook, and Franky, the only males still on the ship. He throws them each a pack, watching as they clumsily grab for them. "Here, you bastards. Don't eat too much of it now."

"Bro! You got my favorite burgers! Suuuu-per-"

"I said don't eat it now!"

The foot that somehow reaches Franky's head knocks softly against the metal. Franky groans in pain while Chopper tries to check for a concussion. Brook's just laughing.

There's a splash in the water and Luffy runs over to the edge of Sunny just in time to see Jinbe arise from the deep. "I'm going to place a sea barrier around the ship, captain." The captain nods.

The only two not participating in the upheaval of the Strawhat docking party are the only two who actually touched land.

Usopp, who had to be the first to step foot on Elbaf. It was an unspoken rule for everyone. And Zoro, who wants to protect them from every danger by trying to be a sacrifice.

They're quiet, serious but in awe of the land before them. In wonder, Usopp murmurs "it's Elbaf," almost as if it weren't.

"Yeah," Zoro agrees in quiet. Because despite the tales and legends and pirates, he can't believe it either.

The tree Aschebaum looks even bigger when they stand close to it. And now that they are close, there's a bridge leading up that tree, made of all colors of the rainbow, glistening in the light

"Huh…." Nami says from above, a soft smile adorning her face. "So that's what it is on the map."

Usopp, unsurprisingly, is the first to move forward. His brown hand strays away from his body and veers toward the bridge. It's intoxicating and so bright; inspiring and so unreal. He can't keep his eyes or hands away from it. And just as he's about to feel what heaven is like, there's a soft wind on his hand. Heat, he thinks with a grin. It's heat.

And he turns back to Zoro. "It's a burning bridge." And the statement makes the others jump down from the ship then, as if they needed to know it was safe.

"So how do we get up the tree?" Jinbe asks aloud. Usopp turns back to the bridge and stares at its glistening fire in seriousness. As if he knew the answers to all Elbaf's problems. It's a great question. And he wonders idly if this is how the giants kept away from the outside world.

"What about those?" Robin's pointing now, to their right. There are shoes a bit away. But they're covered in ice. Frost shoes.

Usopp turns to his captain, a mischievous grin on his face. "Race ya!" And he takes off before the challenge is accepted, Luffy hot on his tail.

The crew follow, shaking their heads in either amusement or shame. Usopp's chest burns as he runs and he remembers how much he hates just sitting around on the ship waiting for the next island. He'd rather get can't-go-to-an-island disease than be out of work. Luffy makes it first. He always does. He always cheats.

He's asking so many questions about the frost shoes that apparently don't feel cool or freezing in his hands.

"Are they mystery shoes? Do they fit? Can we skate in em? Usopp, are you listening?"

Barely, he wants to say. Usopp is too engrossed in the image beside them to actually care about shoes. He's more interested in wear and tear of the tree of Aschebaum.

It's bark was the epitome of wear and tear. Depreciation over the years do to use without proper care or maintenance. The bark is a deep brown. But some parts are darker, smudged and clipped; five large circles in a row recurring every now and then. The captain is still going on excitedly about the shoes so Usopp grabs him and squeezes his chin. "Luffy, look you idiot!"

And then they're all quiet.

"What do you think it is, Usopp-bro?"

Robin answers instead. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe the marks in the tree may be the prints of giants."

"Like, they were climbing up the tree?"

"Yes, Longnose. Something that would take a simple moment for them. Something that people of our size can't do."

Usopp can't help it when he squeals. He can just imagine Dorry and Broggy climbing so carelessly up Aschebaum like apes. "How cool is that, huh?"

* * *

The travel up the burning bridge is a thing Usopp will always remember. It's fun, no doubt. They skate and dance in the shoes. Even Zoro couldn't resist racing Sanji a little further ahead. Usopp can't help his grin when he sees the burning bridge spark beneath the older man's shoes.

"Usopp!" Chopper's excited cry fills the air and The sniper looks up just in time to see his small friend running for him. "Catch me!" With ease, the laughing reindeer is being held by his hands.

And Usopp is going to think about this. A few months later, on the occasional night, he's going to think about his actions that led up to this moment. It's going to hunt him and pull at his heart in a grotesque manner, tearing his mind down piece by piece.

How Chopper died because of him.

As time goes on, he'll never recall how it happens. He's spinning Chopper….and spinning him….and spinning him….and then he sees her.

A woman hovering off to the side of the bridge, watching them. No. Watching _him_. And there's so much hate there. As if she can't stand the sight of him. As if Usopp is made from something nasty. And Usopp freezes.

He'll never remember how it happens. How Chopper was spinning. And then how he wasn't. How he flew off the bridge more than 100 feet in the air. But he'll never forget how the doctor dies.

"Chopper!" Usopp screams, rushing over to the edge to see Chopper falling. The sight makes him drop to his knees, his hand sinking into the bridge. "No!"

And the sound comes a minute after Chopper hits the ground. Bones cracking with blood around them. Wet and scary and cringeworthy. Chopper dies on impact. But the crash hits Usopp.

His bones tear in half. And the pain is unbearable. And blood is seeping down his head and arms. And it hurts. God it hurts. And all he can do is scream.

"Aaaahhhh!"

"Usopp! Are you okay?"

It's Luffy. He's pulling on his arm. And dragging him up off the surface of the bridge. Nami is by his side and she's staring in horror at his burned hands. "You idiot," she whispers in sorrow.

"Usopp? Does it hurt?"

Of course it hurts. It burns. And his palms and fingers look like melted cheese. But Usopp can't speak. Not while the blood is gone. Not while Zoro is hovering close in a protective manner, leaning against an invisible barrier of the bridge. Not while Chopper is opening his pack and asking to see his hands. All he can do is cry and try not to cry and wonder who that was.

Chopper, who's supposed to be dead, sighs in sadness. "They can only be wrapped for now. And the numbing cream is just going to either burn them or infect the open wounds. Let's try to hurry up the bridge and see what we can find."

Usopp still remains silent, first staring at Chopper like he's not even real and then at everyone else. They're nonchalant. How could they have not seen the doctor fall? Not heard the cracks when he touched ground? How could they not have seen her?

She was grotesque; her face marred and abnormal. Unsymmetrical, her mouth strayed to the left side of her face and her nose was dented in. The only thing more hideous were her eyes, ugly things full of hatred. She was an abomination. She was a monster. She was him.

* * *

It takes the Strawhats another several hours to reach some form of civilization; a giant home leering off the side of a wooden gate. When they reached the top, Usopp was almost asleep on Zoro's back, sliding off the swordsman every now and then.

The swordsman stops by the gate and mutters. "I'm not gonna sit you down, but you should at least be awake."

Usopp groans in return, but opens his eyes nonetheless. His forearms are swollen now, clogged with blood that isn't reaching his healing hands. And the cloth around his hands are already moist with pus and blood. It feels disgusting. Looks disgusting even. And he doesn't even want to think about the pain to come when they're getting healed.

"Humans of Mithof," His voice was like the magma chamber of a volcano, deep, but filled entirely with the molten rock. It was powerful enough to make Usopp's bones feel like they were vibrating. When the voice spoke to them, everyone went quiet. It was powerful and commanding, shaking the ground like a storm. "Why have you traveled up the Bifrost?"

Because Usopp is on his back, Zoro unconsciously squeezes the back of his right thigh, a clear indication that his target was the swords.

"Ouch," Usopp mutters. The grip loosens, if only slightly, and Usopp swears to the Gods that if Zoro starts swinging him like Wado, he'll shoot a fire star in the eye he has left.

The bridge shakes. One by one, in a slow steady pace, it shakes. _Boom_…._Boom_…._Boom_…._Boom._ Footsteps, Usopp concludes. The door to the large cabin before them opens and it's all quiet. A large hand sprouts outward only to clamp down on the top of the door for support.

Now Usopp's shaking. Not in fear though. Just….he's about to see a giant. A _real_ giant. One that never left Elbaf. He wiggles a little and it's enough for Zoro to let him down.

The big meaty fingers, smudged with grime and work tighten even more before a large head ducks enough to come out. The giant takes another step and Chopper bounces off the bridge from the small earthquake. Usopp's mouth opens wide and immediately he drops to a single knee, surprised that the bridge stops burning here.

The large giant looks down at them in a scrutinizing manner. Zoro, who's left hand is dangerously close to those swords, Sanji, who's leg is alit in flames, and Brook who stands cautiously. Luffy is just staring with his usual unreadable expression while Nami and Robin stand on guard beside him. Jinbe is before their captain, his arms crossed as he portrays a wall and Chopper is behind them all, confused but all the more impressed.

This giant, larger than the ones they've seen, stares at each of them as if he knows their natural nature. As if all humans are the same. And then his eyes stop on Usopp, who's still bowing low on a single knee, his head down and curls falling in his eyes.

"You, the kneeler" his voice booms. "State your purpose on Bifrost and why you have strayed from Mithof."

Usopp finally looks up but he doesn't stand. Not yet. He tries to be as serious as possible, but he can't help the crooked grin that comes when he addresses the giant.

"Mountain Beard Jarl, my crew and I came from the region for humans only to explore Elbaf. And I," He trails, wondering what to say. For years, it's always been a boast to who he was. _Captain Usopp. Usoland. Usopp the great._ But here, he feels like he can be just Usopp. "Usopp of the Straw Hats Pirates….well, after studying Elbaf for so long, I can say I came to see if the rumors were true."

Jarl, once a hero of Elbaf, crosses his arms over his long beard. And he's quiet for a long time. Just staring at Usopp and thinking something Usopp desperately wants to know about. He always thought that when he came to Elbaf, he would go crazy; act too excited and want to do everything at once. But he can't believe how calm he is now, bowing to one of the greatest giants of all time and taking the lead for his crew here. "And what of them, Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates? What do you conclude from these rumors?"

63 years ago, after Big Mom killed his lifelong friend and co-captain of the giant warrior pirates, Jorl, Jarl had disappeared, his status even becoming unknown. He'd fallen off the face of the earth, a large feat for someone so mighty. There were rumors. Rumors that he had died. Rumors that he hid in the caves of Elbaf. But there was a rumor that Big Mom wasn't asleep when he went to kill the child. There was a rumor that Jarl had lost more than his friend during that festival. And now….Usopp can stare at Jarl's missing leg and the pink rubber scar that goes down his face and know for sure. _Some rumors aren't rumors at all._

Usopp shakes his head in sadness and he wonders how people cope. Where do they put their bodies day by day and how do they cope inside them? Because there's a reason Mountain Beard Jarl, mighty hero of Elbaf, leader of giant pirates, disappeared from the face of the earth. And the sniper mutters in quiet, although everyone can hear him clearly.

"That all that glitters _truly_ is not gold."

It's not meant to be an insult. People lose. Lose fights, lose each other, lose themselves. But Usopp knows that Jarl is a smart enough man to not take offense. He sighs in relief after a moment of silence when the huge giant crouches down as low as he can get to Usopp. And Usopp stands and pushes some of the giant's beard from his vision. "So you are _that_ Usopp? Oimo and Kashi have told me great things."

And the composure that Usopp has worked on breaks. His smile is bright enough to conquer the bridge that hurt him. "They made it back safely."

Jarl nods although it wasn't a question. "They say it was you who told them the truth about Dorry and Broggy. And that you gave them purpose. It's a great and rare gift to move people. "

Usopp laughs softly. He always wondered about this too. How he would persuade the giants here how he was a really decent person. But, Oimo and Kashi have done it for him. "That was the truth, but among others I'm known as something entirely different."

When Jarl laughs all Usopp can do is stare up at the man in wonder. "Bojajajaja! Bojajaja! Well, Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates, your reputation already precedes you here." And then he smiles at Usopp. "Speaking of liars who tell the truth, your great uncle, he's-"

"Yes," Usopp smiles. Jarl doesn't need to finish. It's the truth. That man was his uncle.

Jarl smiles in content. "He visited here before. An intelligent man and a master Botanist. Come to think of it, our first meeting was like this. 400 years ago, I was only seven. And he still bowed to me. Just like you. We don't get many brave warriors from your region."

Usopp can only smile because he's happy. Standing and trying to peer into huge gates of Elbaf, he can only think. _Not bad, eh Noland? I found my city of Gold too._

Jarl hums and looks back at the other crew members who have long since let their guard down. "And these are the other Straw Hats? I don't very much look into the affairs of those who inhabit Mithof, but I've heard a great many things about this crew."

Luffy comes forward and the first thing he says to Mountain Beard Jarl - hero of Elbaf, captain of warriors - is "Your breath smells funny."

Usopp gapes and then cringes in utter embarrassment. That boy, the total idiot, is his.

"Bojajaja! A comrade of yours, Usopp?"

Usopp nods with a smile, embarrassment gone. He realized long ago that Luffy would always be Luffy. And that was the most beautiful thing about him. It was why Usopp had fallen in love. "He's my captain and-" he stops. He needs not say more. If Jarl knows about God Usopp, then he knows the Straw Hat Pirates. And there's no doubt he knows about Monkey D. Luffy, the man who's going to be King of the Pirates.

Jarl nods and stands at full. "Well, let's not stand here so long. Elbof nights last 72 hours and it snows no matter the season. Surely you're all hungry from your journey up Bifrost." He eyes the bloody bandages around Usopp's hands. "And we'll patch you up before you go into the villages."

Usopp thanks him graciously.

* * *

"The region we come from," Robin begins as she stirs the tea. It's a large bowl before her, steaming and sweet like honey, but to Jarl, it's just a wooden cup. "I can only assume it's called Mithof."

Jarl nods. "Why yes. All the oceans and the lands at the bottom of the Bifrost is what we call Mithof, or middle yard. It is the center of the cosmos and the land where humans inhabit." He frowns deeply at the large cup the Strawhats are dipping their hands in and drinking from. "Forgive my hospitality. Elbof hasn't had human visitors for seventy years."

Usopp briefly wonders at the way Elbaf sounds on the giant's tongue before letting the thought go. "It's alright." His hands have been cleaned in cool water and rubbed in healing ointment. While Chopper is wrapping them, Nami has her back against the sniper's shoulder, and she's writing and erasing things on that map of hers. Usopp notices that there is a new word at the bottom of the burning bridge where the Sunny is docked: _Mithof_. The sniper knows there's more she wants on the map. New names and words to complete it. "And then Bifrost?" He wonders out loud.

Jarl hums. "That trusted bridge has been here long before my time as well. Not many of us know how it came to be, but those of Elbof rely heavily upon it. Many humans believe the bridge is between Mithof and Aderhof. They think it ends in heaven, but it doesn't. The bridge ends in Elbof at my residence while I guard it from the humans."

There's no need for Usopp to ask Jarl what the giant has been doing for so many years off the radar. After Big Mom and the pirates, he simply became a protector of his village.

"But after such a journey and getting through the gates, you will find the great kingdom of Elbof, or as you humans so wrongly call it, Elbaf. It has many villages, including the village named after the kingdom and Warland village. Elbof village is the only way to reach heaven and Aderhof, the realm of the gods."

Chopper tightens the bandages around Usopp's hands. The God winces softly, but says nothing in regard to the pain. Instead, he asks about that river from Elba- _Elbof_ village that Nami is tapping with her pen. The river that goes up. Like the knock up stream. "So if Bifrost ends here, how do you get to the realm of the Gods?"

Jarl smiles. "The giants travel up Grofluss, the river that separates us from Aderhof. However, no one has used the river in more than six decades . Prince Loki, one of the Gods up there, the God of giants, has not spoken in years."

Nami writes the word Grofluss on the large river and looks up. "You said Loki is the God of the giants. Are there other Gods?"

"There are." Jarl hums after a nostalgic thought. "There was. Odin, the god of all things. Frigg, the powerful goddess that could see the future. Ake, a mysterious God many have always wondered about. But….many of them are gone now. Odin is dead. The others are possibly hiding."

Usopp can feel a twist in his heart when he hears the word Odin and a drop in his stomach at the word Ake. It's like he's supposed to know exactly who those names belong to, but there's a sadness like forgetfulness. "Hiding?"

"Why yes. Hiding possibly from Zerstorung, the end of the world as Elbof Kingdom knows it. Zerstorung is a prophecy, but a war if nothing else. It is a series of events, including a great battle, foretold to lead to the deaths of a number of great figures, including mine and the Gods Odin and Loki, natural disasters and the submersion of the world in water. After these events, the world will resurface anew and fertile, the surviving and returning gods will meet and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors."

Usopp gapes. He's more surprised that the Gods of Elbof had gone into hiding. They were supposed to be brave warriors. At least, it was what he hoped. "But Zerstorung is just a prophecy right? Why would

They go into hiding?"

No one misses the way Jarl's eyes go to Usopp's burned hands. And Luffy tenses up like he knows something is going to be said. Like Usopp has something to do with anything happening on Elbof.

"Because so far, everything leading up to that prophecy has proved to be true. The top god dies. A warrior is killed by a mere child and another dies without dying. The Gods disappear. And then a human comes along and burns his hands on Bifrost."

Usopp frowns and the feeling comes back. Like something bad is going to happen. All because he came here to this island. He's just Usopp. Him burning his hands has nothing to do with the end of the world. It has nothing to do with Zerstorung. "But, it doesn't make sense," he argues. "I just burned my hands. That could have been anyone."

Jarl shakes his head. "No. Not just anyone. The bridge is simply a bridge with colors. I can guarantee if you all were to step on the bridge without the frost shoes, you would be the only one to get burned. For the sake of the prophecy, the bridge only burns for a single person. And we used the frost shoes to prevent it." Usopp shakes his head, but Jarl isn't finished. "The last person to get burned by the bridge was Odin, god of all things. Way before I was born. Before he became a God and before the first Zerstorung. When he was just a simple human. When he was just Montblanc Odin."

The silence that follows is an eerie one. No one can really comprehend what Jarl is saying although the words were as clear as day. Sanji is the first to speak and he slams his fist on the table, always easily angered. Angered now that some ancient giant is putting his friend into the business of something far larger than the Straw Hat Pirates. "So what are you saying Usopp-"

"I'm not saying anything. I am simply stating that Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates is far braver than the world thinks. I'm not saying Zerstorung will happen and I'm not saying you all will have to play a part in it. It's only a theory."

Only a theory doesn't settle well in the pit of Usopp's stomach. He knew they shouldn't have come to Elbaf. He knew there was something off.

Jarl puts his tea down. "Forgive me for dimming the mood and spurting information not meant for your ears. I had hoped you'd want to learn everything about the kingdom before going inside those gates."

"We do!" Usopp clears his throat when he hears how desperate he sounds. "We do. We've waited for Elbaf for a long time. There's no way we'd give up learning more. The Strawhats _never_ stop exploring the unknown. Right?"

He was staring at Luffy, but his eyes were watching God. And the sniper smiles in relief when one by one his crew smiles at his words, as if just realizing. They were the Strawhats dammit. Nothing scared them.

Usopp looks back at Jarl who's watching with a small look of pride. "We want to learn everything about Elbaf. About Odin and Ake and Zerstorung. Kingdoms and people live on in stories right?"

And Jarl smiles wide enough to make the 19 year old think about Dorry and Broggy and how happy and carefree they were. It makes him want to smile too. "It is the only way they live on, Usopp."

* * *

The Strawhats spend the next 72 hours in the home of Jarl, telling stories and bundling beneath big cloths as the winter air knocks against the window.

Usopp and Jarl spend the most time together and, during their last night, none of the other Strawhats miss that the warrior has taken a strong liking to their sniper.

Usopp waves his hand in the air as he exaggerates Arlong's defeat. "And after the entire park was knocked down, you could only see Luffy standing as proud as he could atop the rubble. And he screamed...so loud I'm sure Kaido heard it from Wano. 'Nami! You'll always be my friend!' And it was true. She would always be welcome with us."

Jarl nods. "In all my years, I haven't crossed many, but I can only hope not all Fishman are like Arlong. I hope most are like Jinbe."

Usopp glances over at the sleeping sea prince and nods vigorously. "They are. You know, Elbaf isn't the only place of warriors. Fishman island has all kinds of those."

"And what of your region?"

The younger halts for a second, confused and shocked. It's a question he was no doubt unready for. "Land?" Jarl nods. "I believe there are. Well, there are." And then he shrugs apologetically. "Honestly, we don't have many. And people don't claim to be anymore. Not even me."

"Bojajaja! Well of course not, lad. One never knows when they are a true warrior. I sure didn't know."

At this, the Strawhats' beloved sniper's eyes widen to comedic proportions and he stares at Jarl with surprise and wonder. Like Jarl is giving him the One Piece. "Really?"

Jarl laughs at the shock. "Yes. By the time one stops saying they are a great warrior, they've already become one. But, as far as I know, most brave warriors don't ever know. They never realize such. Not even after death."

The giant's words are thought about as Usopp bites his lip. He wants to know. If anything, he wants to know when he becomes a brave warrior. At least before he dies. But after a few moments of thinking about how beautifully sad that is, he accepts it. If not knowing was to be a part of the warrior's life, he'd go at it willingly. Still, he can't believe one would never know.

He looks up. "Wait, are you sure? Are you sure they'll never know?"

Jarl smirks wide and down, his eyes mulling over the black scars on the small man's body and the weapon he dearly cherishes. Usopp, the giant thinks wholeheartedly. God Usopp. "Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates, I am sure as I am big." But he's not talking about himself anymore. And it's okay because Usopp doesn't know that.

A little bit away, the swordsman, cook, and navigator are having a drink at the table, watching the conversation and relationship unfold.

Sanji frowns deeply and stares down into his wine. "He sure has taken a liking to Usopp."

Nami smiles behind her hand. And Sanji sees the small love behind her honey eyes he's seen for years now; how their trusted navigator could be in love with them without having romantic feelings. "Most giants do. _Most_ people do. He's Usopp." She argues. "He has that kind of power to make people follow him. Not in strength, but in words."

That they could agree on. They weren't sure where it came from, but they first saw it in little garden. Usopp's ability to start wars with words. Usopp's gift to make people of any kind follow his lead and life. Usopp's advantage of his mind over anyone else's. Zoro said it. Usopp bested anyone in thinking; even Robin. And despite the lady being one of the smartest, Sanji agreed.

And then the cook frowned even deeper because there was something worse than Jarl taking a liking to their friend. _When he was just Montblanc Odin_. "Do you think he's right about the prophecy? About that shitty Zerstorung or whatever the hell it is?"

Nami nods. Jarl knows Elbaf more than any of them. "Of course."

Sanji's stomach drops. "But, do you think he's right about Usopp?" He never said a thing about Usopp, but Odin was a Montblanc. Odin burned his hands. Odin _died._ "Do you think Usopp is a part of Zerstorung?"

"Even if it were true, we wouldn't let Usopp get anywhere near that. He's worried about him." Zoro interrupts before anyone confirms it. There's no question as to who _he_ is and the three turn toward the strawhat covering Luffy's snoring face. "We wouldn't let him go through the pain."

Sanji sneers. This isn't the time for mosshead to worry about _just_ Luffy. If the prophecy was true and Usopp was a part of that, then he could very well be in danger. Usopp could _di_\- Sanji bites his lip hard. "How can you be so stupid? Did you hear a thing the giant said?"

"Course I did."

"You couldn't have. Because if you did, Luffy's _happiness _should be your second concern. Let me make it clear; Zerstorung is an apocalyptic prophecy otherwise proving true. One of the Gods that died share a shocking connection with Usopp. In fact, everything that happened to him, happened to Usopp. Montblanc...the bridge that only burns for one."

Zoro glares. "What are you trying to say?"

"If it is true, Usopp could die."

"Sanji!" Nami whispers in shock.

Zoro stares hard at the table. Sanji hums in thought. So Luffy being happy wasn't the biggest danger to the swordsman. He just didn't want to think about the real danger. "Don't say that. Don't even think that. Usopp wouldn't die here. I'd never let that happen. _He'd_ never let it happen.."

Sanji stares at their captain. Luffy isn't so much a believer either. He wants to see something in living proof to call it real. "And why the hell is he worried? I know for a fact he doesn't believe any of that."

Nami shakes her head. "No. He doesn't believe it. He's worried that Usopp does. Say you won't let Usopp be a part of something all you want. But do you really think Usopp is going to let you guys stop him? When his back is against the wall, he's braver than most. And that's why Luffy's worried. He could care less about the prophecy and what it says. He's worried that Usopp does care."

After Nami's revelation, all three look toward Usopp and Jarl, who are again in another conversation about the Runic alphabet and how the cosmos is destroyed because of that. And they see it then. The lack of fear in Usopp's eyes just because he could be a part of something bigger than him. Zoro goes to stand, surely to knock Usopp over the head like he usually does and tell him to _think_ about his life. But on both sides, Nami and Sanji grab hold of his arm. "Wait," they hiss, although Sanji is surprised it didn't take the idiot longer to see that Usopp was their main concern.

Zoro stares down the both of them with a menacing look. "You both see it? Well then-"

Nami yanks the swordsman down with the strength of a sea king. "We don't have to." And she points to the corner where Luffy was once asleep. The captain is staring with a stupid adorable frown in Usopp's direction. Usopp's hands are going everywhere at once while he speaks simultaneously entertaining and shocking Jarl. "But if the God Odin is associated with sacrifice, surely that was a way he could learn the alphabet. Right?"

Jarl laughs and his big finger rubs Usopp's bedtime curls. "Although it sounds most reasonable, I cannot know, Usopp. I was negative 300 years old."

Usopp sobers at that, but he's still adorning a mischievous smile. "Well, I think so." And the sniper yawns big enough to conquer the giants a moment after.

Zoro and the others watch Luffy bury himself deep in the covers and his deep voice sounds around the big cabin. "Usopp," he calls quietly. The sniper and Jarl both look over at Luffy. "C'mere," He commands.

Usopp sighs, but smiles nonetheless as he yawns again and stands. It's only then he sees it's nearing four AM. His eyes go to Sanji first thing and he smiles with his eyes closed. And there's a scary feeling in the pit of the cook's stomach. Like it's the last smile he'll ever see from the other. "You guys are still up too? That ancient Elbaf stuff sure is interesting." The sniper bids goodnight to Jarl and shuffles over to Luffy. Like water, he lands across the captain, his legs on either side, and buries his entire face into the right side of Luffy's scar.

"Did you hear all that about Odin, Luffy? Isn't he so cool? He's was a Montblanc. Like me."

"I did. Now sleep."

"But it's so-" Luffy shoves his hat right in the sniper's face.

"Sleep," he says again.

Usopp laughs and when he speaks, his words are muffled. "Fine. Fine. But you're listening to me tomorrow. All day too."

The rubber man doesn't hear it as that. He hears it as Usopp being in his line of sight all day so he can watch him. "Absolutely." And then he's snoring again.

Usopp laughs. "Stupid."

Nami sighs in relief. If anyone was actually good with getting Usopp back into reality, it was their captain. And since he had a plan to keep Usopp close, there's nothing to worry about.

The next morning, half of the Strawhats are groggy, irritable, and half asleep while they pack to head out. Nami is rushing everyone around like they don't have time, Zoro isn't waking up no matter the kicks to the head from Sanji's polished shoe, and Usopp and Luffy are arguing over the edible pop greens that are missing from the sniper's pack.

"For the love of God, can you just tell me if you ate them?"

"I didn't. You put them in my bag."

"So you ate them?"

"No, they're still there. See look."

Sanji grabs Luffy's bag on his way out. "Nami-swan says we need to leave or-" the cook stops abruptly and his fingers go to the back of his neck where a small bruise is forming. He looks back at Usopp and the small slingshot in his hands. "Usopp did you just?" It's ammo he doesn't use anymore because they're weaker, but they still sting like a bitch.

Usopp glares. "I need those pop greens."

A moment of silence as they stare at each other. Nami sighs and counts down. "Three, two, one." And then they're fighting, the sniper and cook, rolling and tussling everywhere in the room. Luffy's joined in, punching each of them like it's some sort of game and laughing. And somehow, they've rolled near Zoro. And now he's fighting without cause too.

"Zoro stop hitting me!" Usopp growls, punching the swordsman's shoulder.

Nami sighs and slumps to the ground. It'd take a lot more energy to hit all four and it'd be a lot faster for them to either tire out or laugh.

Usopp tires out first, not able to keep up with the monster trio and he sinks to the floor. Luffy takes it as an invitation to knock the wind out of him, landing on his torso with a grin.

Jarl comes in and the sight of the first four boys makes him hum in thought. "Well I guess you can stay another night if you aren't ready to go into the village."

Usopp sits up and Luffy flies off of him. The sniper jumps on Sanji's sagging shoulders and grins wide. "Are you kidding me? Of course we're ready. Just look at his smile of excitement." With that, he tugs at the corners of Sanji's mouth. And the victim, who still has Zoro's collar tight in his grip throws the swordsman upward. The first and fourth clash and crash against a nearby table and once more they're fighting again. Luffy confused, Sanji angry, Usopp laughing, and Zoro annoyed.

Jarl scratches his head and looks down at the orange haired woman in confusion. She doesn't know if he's asking a question or judging their sanity, but she just smiles. "Those boys are my boys."

* * *

The crew doesn't depart form Jarl's home until an hour goes by. By then, they're all ready for Elbaf, even the tired ones. Usopp fixes Chopper's pack against his own shoulder and goes to stand before Jarl. "I had a good time here."

"Bojajaja! Me too, small warrior. And I hope we meet again before you leave Elbof."

Usopp smiles at the nickname. "Me too. I don't ever want to leave here though."

"What you choose will always be up to you. And I hope, whatever you choose, it makes you happy."

Usopp only smiles big and closes his eyes. He sure hopes so.

"Usopp. Come on! My skin is burning in this heat. But then again, I don't have skin. Yohohoho!"

Usopp shakes his head at his skeletal friend, bids another reluctant goodbye to Jarl, and follows the musician in a haste.

"So long, Jarl. Don't forget me, okay? Because when I come back I'll be King of the snipers, the bravest warrior to touch land, sea, and sky."

Once more and after a long 63 years, Jarl, hero of the giants, stands alone, staring at the door as if it were never opened. He blinks before bowing his head and wiping a loose tear. _Don't forget me, okay?_ As if he could ever be forgotten in the eyes of a giant. How could he?

And then after the sentiment, he clutches his belly and laughs, the sound alone causing volcanoes to erupt and plates to slide. "Noland," He calls higher than the heavens he's standing in. "Odin, you two. He's….he's just like you. The both of you."

The house is still for a moment before the giant laughs. "Agreed. A fool for not knowing, but a warrior no less."

* * *

"Guys, wait up!" Usopp yells to his stopped crew ahead. The forest they have to get through before they reach the village, Jarl says, is even trickier than that of Little Garden. So the crew has to be careful and stick together on their journey. "Remember that we have to stick together!"

Nami turns with a smile. "Well come on then! Look at this!"

The sniper halts behind them and looks to where they're all staring. There before the Strawhats is a large stone, possibly as ancient as it looks. There are words transcribed here, symbols that make each of them squint.

The only names Usopp can read is the name of Odin and a smudged 'oke' with its first letter smudged.

Usopp moves forward to put his hands on the stone. They tingle at contact. "This is the prophecy. The full one at least. But Jarl says no one can read it. Not even giants know the Runic alphabet."

Robin placed her hands on the stone too. "I can't either. I wish there were books to study, but I heard the giant say that it cannot be studied."

Luffy laughs heartily. "So it's a mystery stone."

"Jarl said Odin could read it. He said he learned it. Somehow, he learned it."

The Strawhats continue to stare at stone before Sanji speaks. "Alright. We can think about what this shitty stone says when we make it-"

Usopp can remember a time when he was younger. After his mother died and he would cry himself to sleep at night. And he would wake up thinking that the world had ended. The air would be still, the world would be quiet, and ma would disappear again. And it would happen over and over again until Usopp believed that he wasn't the only liar.

That stillness and quiet that happens when the world is ending, it happens here too. How Sanji just stops speaking. It's like he disappeared just like ma did. And Usopp's head snaps back to the cook. "Sanji," he calls at the man's back. He's just standing there, staring into some trees away from them. "What's wrong?"

The cook says nothing, only points ahead of them. Usopp squints. "I can't see anything."

"How can you not see it?" Sanji whispers. He sounds horrified. It's a first. And then he points. "She's right there. It burns."

Usopp tenses and his hands go up to pull at his goggles. Adjusting them, the sniper squints even more and his brows begin to sweat.

"It burns," Sanji says again. "God, it burns. I have to stop it, Usopp. I have to stop it."

Usopp freezes. She's back. The lady who made him kill Chopper. She's back. She's burning him. "Sanji," he warns. "Don't move a muscle."

"But it burns."

"It isn't real."

The black boy cautiously reaches upward to grab hold of Sanji's tailored suit. Sanji takes off into the forest. "I have to stop it!"

"Sanji!" After a desperate cry filled with air and hurt, Usopp goes after his friend. Sanji is fast through the forest, if his burning chest is anything to go by. "Sanji! Wait!"

And he keeps going after the blond, dangerously unaware of the screams of his crew and their calls to come back. Dangerously unaware of the crew's cook calling from behind Robin and Luffy for Usopp to stop.

Usopp falls over a branch deep in the forest and looks up and around. The lack of light is making him dizzy and there are whispers all around him.

_He's out there._

_He's hurting her._

_He's sinking._

_Luffy is lost._

_Come here._

His hands tighten around the dirt on the ground. "Sanji!" Nothing. "Sanji please! Where are you?!"

_Chichichi. It burns him._

Usopp slams his head against the ground and it becomes moist with tears. "Sanji!"

* * *

Through the forest and pass the quiet village of Elbaf, up the harsh current of Grofluss and in the region of the Gods, a castle sits in solitude.

The woman hums and turns toward her small chair. She bites her twisted lip in anticipation. "Chichichi." She laughs.

In the air, a small hologram of a figure falls to the forest floor and clenches the dirt. A fool he is. A fool she needs. He slams his head onto the ground and cries out for his friend. 'Sanji!'

"Chichichichi. The first to suggest they stay together is the first and only to leave." And it's the one she wants. How perfect could the prophecy be. "Let it rain fire, God Usopp."

* * *

**And scene. :) I'm late and ashamed. woohoo! so Usopp has been separated from the crew. And it can only get worse.**


	3. To The Ones Who Shall be Remembered

**To The Ones Who Shall be Remembered**

**This chapter is still in the process of editing.**

* * *

Usopp groans into existence. The first thing that comes to mind is that his body hurts. His hands feel cold and numb as they're raised above his head in chains.

_In chains._

His head snaps up at the realization and all his senses crash into him at once.

His feet touch no surface as they hang in the air, but there's a liquid running down them. Thick and hot. And his hands are possibly numbed out from disuse, meaning they've been chained above his heart level for some time.

He can't see a thing, but a musty cloth is covering both his eyes and it goes over his chin. A bag, he thinks. What he can see is a small amount of light shining through. Like the sun, but not the sun. The light is a small flame away from him, dimming low and about to die.

His lips are as dry as heat and they feel bruised. He's dehydrated. And his tongue makes a sticky dry noise each time he opens and closes his mouth. Usopp can feel the blisters on the corners of his mouth, caked beneath slob.

And all there is is silence. Truly. And after hearing the air and the darkness, the whispers and laughing, there's no sound left. Just his own heavy wheezing from his messed up lungs. And it scares him. He doesn't want silence like this. Not the silence of slow dying. It scares him so much that he wants it back; the air and darkness, whispers and laughing.

It smells horrible in here. If nothing else, Usopp knows the smell of death. He knows the smell of dead bodies. Zoro and Luffy do too. When the three were captured by Blackbeard, it was all they could smell. Dead bodies. Bloated flesh and rot. Those were the only two that were with him. The only two that Blackbeard could hurt.

They were captured again. "Zoro," He raspes, his throat dry. "Luffy." Nothing in response. Dangling his right arm, Usopp tries to free his hand from its binds, no matter how much is hurts and stings. No doubt, it's being cut on the rusted metal, but he can't stop. Not now when his friends are in danger.

"You may as well stop struggling." The sniper tenses at the soft old voice beside him. "It's no use," it continues. "If I can't do it, a mere human can't break free."

"W-w-who's there? I have 8000 men underneath my control. I-I-I have friends who can cut air and make storms."

"They'd never find you here. And besides, what harm am I with the same chains as you?"

Usopp blinks. What he can now remember is chasing Sanji before this and then nothing. Sanji was in danger. Sanji was burning. "Sanji?" He calls.

Instead of his friend, the same voice speaks again. "No one by that name here. Just you, me, Oimo, and Kashi."

Usopp's head snaps up straighter and higher when he hears another voice from behind him. It's loud and overbearing like the speaker can't hear himself to control his volume. "I knew a Sanji once! Long time ago, but still knew him!" A shush is hissed hard after that. "Oh! Sorry!"

There's a tremor that goes through his veins. Oimo and Kashi. Two giant warrior pirates. They were captured too? "Oimo, Kashi! What are you two doing here?" It's hard to breath, but Usopp feels accomplished when he gets it all out.

Instead of the loud voice behind him, the first voice comes back. "His right ear is dead and his left ear is halfway gone. You'll have to speak louder with Kashi."

He says nothing more about Oimo and so many questions go through Usopp's head. Like why is Kashi hard of hearing and why is Oimo so silent? Who is the other captive and why are they here? Besides Oimo and Kashi, they have nothing in common. "I said 'Kashi, what are you doing here?'"

"Who's that speaking to me?!"

Usopp frowns. He knows that he has a bag over his head, but his voice didn't change so much. He didn't think he was that forgettable. "It's me, Usopp. From Enies Lobby. You know Sniper K-"

"Usopp!" Kashi's voice is louder than it's ever been and Usopp can hear chains rattling like the giant is going crazy. Despite the circumstances, the man smiles softly. "My great friend Usopp! I've missed you dearly! But, what are you doing here?"

"I'm as lost as you, Kashi."

"You sound different! Older! Wiser than your old wise self!"

"Where's Oimo? I can't hear him."

Before another word is spoken, a heavy door slides across a surface. Metal, old and rusted, the observant sniper concludes. Against a floor that is easily scratched, he thinks, tile no doubt. They're below ground. Heels tap against the floor agonizingly slow before a shadow stops in the light before Usopp.

There's _nothing_ for the next few minutes and Usopp's waiting to wake up. No wise voice beside him. No yelling Kashi. Not even the striking absence of Oimo was present.

So he whispers quietly, his throat still dry, "hello?"

In an instant, the bag is ripped off his head and Usopp is met with something horrifying. A grotesque being in the shape of a woman. She was grotesque; her face marred and abnormal. Unsymmetrical, her mouth strayed to the left side of her face and her nose was dented in. The only thing more hideous were her eyes, ugly things full of hatred. She was an abomination. She was a monster. She was-

_What if I get hurt really bad and all my friends go away? What if I go away too, but I have to come back and I'm alone for decades without sunlight._

_Teach keeps going and going and Nami's gone silent a while ago. Usopp is still screaming and crying in rage, anger, defeat, and sadness. But Teach stays over her. He keeps going and moaning and touching her._

_Of everyone, to him, his Japanese friend had the most beautiful eyes on that ship; bark brown, sharp, and mysterious. But now his open eyes are blackened out. Like a moment in space without stars. His mouth is open, his tongue is blue, his lips are dried foam. And his face is bloated. Swelled and decaying. Zoro isn't breathing._

_Please. Don't go anywhere. Stay here. I can't lose you of all people. I can't. You won't. Not you. Not Luffy._

_He'll never remember how it happens. How Chopper was spinning. And then how he wasn't. How he flew off the bridge more than 100 feet in the air. He'll never remember all those things….But he'll never forget how the doctor dies._

_That stillness and quiet that happens when the world is ending, it happens here too. How Sanji just stops speaking. It's like he disappeared just like ma did. And Usopp's head snaps back to the cook. "Sanji," he calls at the man's back. He's just standing there, staring into some trees away from them. "What's wrong?"_

Usopp splutters and his first thought is that he's doomed. This thing- whatever she may be- is pure hate. He can feel that, but she's pure power as well. She has to be. If she's got Oimo and Kashi captured, Usopp doesn't stand a chance against her.

"You're-" He splutters some more, but he doesn't need to finish. She clenches her fist.

"I am her. The voice in your head. The woman of your doom. I am Ake, destroyer of all things."

_Ake,_ he thinks. The mysterious giant God of Elbaf. Usopp's eyes travel from the small crown on her head to the ankle length black coat she adorns, and finally to the small black heels still clicking on the ground while she's stationary. She doesn't look like a giant, much less a god.

Even then, her true self doesn't matter as much as the thoughts going through his head. If he was chasing Sanji and wound up getting lost, they were out looking for him. Or….the whispers in his head came true and they're all de-

Usopp tenses and his eyes get really dark and narrowed. It's one thing to bother him, but his crewmates are his precious nakama. The entire mood in the room shifts and the woman sees that too: her heels stop clicking and she stares at Usopp in confusion. "Where are my crewmates?" It's venom and hate that asks that question.

The woman hums and puts her hand on her malformed chin. "Where? Where are your crewmates but on the board of my own creative game? Where could they be?" She sounds confused, but it's an obvious facade.

"If you touch them-"

Ake laughs again, and what scares Usopp is that it isn't overbearing or sarcastic. It's _real._ He looks down in bitterness. She doesn't take him seriously. And that shouldn't surprise him anymore. No one really does. "He thinks he can threaten when his hands are so dearly held by the chains. Otherwise, your crewmates are safe. I've said it once. God Usopp is all I seek and all I will have. The only pain they will go through is watching you die. Slowly, God Usopp." She smiles at him. "Like the exploding sun. Slowly."

He knows the saying. She's said it plenty of times. But he's not God Usopp; not even close to a God. He's just Usopp. Ake turns her head to Usopp's left and he looks over too. There was no better time to look at his surroundings.

Beside him is a giant. The wise old one. His hair and long beard are ice white and his clothes are frayed, more so rags now and Usopp wonders how long he's been here, chained to the ground by his arms and back. He's even bigger than Jarl while he crouches in an uncomfortable position. But the thing that stands out the most to Usopp is that charred crown on his head, broken with a deeper meaning than its scratches.

Usopp jumps in fear when he turns the other way. Whatever it is, suspended in the air on the wooden board like a crucifixion is a woman. Besides the dirty unkempt curls that go down to her ankle, a slender brown leg sticks out like a loose nail. Her hands, shoulders, and legs are nailed down with long thick nails and Usopp can't help but wince. Her head is down so far, her chin rests on her chest. She's almost dead, boarded there and not moving, not at all disturbed by Ake. She must be really brave. In an instant, Usopp swears he sees her open her brown eyes and then they close. Something warm hits the bottom of his stomach and he doesn't know where the feeling comes from. He doesn't know why he smiles softly and blinks tears away. She was alive.

Craning his neck, the man sees Kashi with his torso wrapped tightly. Usopp knows he's half deaf, but he doesn't expect to stare into eyes he can't remember. He doesn't expect to stare into nothing but white. Kashi was blind, purposely. There are two deep scars that go through both his eyes.

And then the sniper tenses all together. The giant in the corner behind Kashi is afraid. He's not in chains at all, but he doesn't need to be. His will is broken enough. He's curled into himself staring at everyone in fear, his eyes staying on Ake the entire time. For a fraction of time, the giant and Usopp meet eyes. He stares at Usopp. The corners of his stitched mouth tug, Usopp swears he sees it, and then the giant looks down in shame. He can't smile with the stitches. Usopp feels like crying. God, it sucks. "Oimo," he whispers to the giant although no one can hear him. What did she do to you?

His head turns back to Ake and he outright asks "what did you do to them?"

She looks at Kashi and then Oimo. And then she smiles. "Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak none either. Chichichi."

"You bastard."

She ignores him. "Ake is most pleased to find five of her banes in a single confined space. We are very close. Just one more. One ."

"Banes?" Usopp mutters. he doesn't belong here. He doesn't know her and she not him. He doesn't belong in any kind of group, much less great giants.

Ake's head goes down and she glares at the ground. When she speaks, it's mostly a mutter to herself. "Even a God tires of living the same life over and over. If I cannot kill you, I will trap you until Zerstorung finishes. I will hold you and break your will. Shatter the very souls my dear sister worked so hard on creating."

He's never been more confused. What does Usopp have to do with her living the same life again and again? Why does she need to trap him until Zerstorung finishes? And her sister?

Before he can verbally question this being's motives, Ake looks up sharply. Gone is the tinge of anger, easily replaced by a psychotic grin. "And with such a thing said, we can commence."

All of them except Kashi and the crucified woman watch Ake walk over to a small table with different tools on them. Her long fingers move over them slowly as she gazes down with a small smile. Eventually, those fingers stop. Right on the handle of a small metal knife, not even larger than Usopp's thumb.

She looks up. First at the woman and then Kashi and the wise giant. It's all disinterest until they stop on Oimo, still huddled in the corner. She raises the knife and asks "does the giant want to speak again?"

And Oimo loses it. He backs even further into the corner and shakes his head rapidly, silently begging her not to get closer. Ake starts moving close anyway. The way Oimo is looking, Usopp wonders if he ever looks like this. Loss, confusion, childlike fear. And just the thought hits hard in his chest and Usopp blurts.

"Leave him alone. Don't touch him."

She doesn't listen. She keeps moving closer to the giant. All he can think about is how afraid Brook was on that bed, tears in his eyes, belief in mind that he would always be alone.

"Leave him."

Oimo's head goes between his knees. Usopp yanks his chain hard, feeling his arm pop. "Godamnit, I said leave him alone! You've done enough."

That got her. Ake turns around and smiles at him. "Oh yes, every time we do this, I forget that God Usopp is the sacrifice. No matter his fate, no matter his pain, he saves lives as good as I take them."

When Ake begins to walk up to Usopp himself, the Strawhat doesn't know what to think. His initial emotion, his undying gift, is fear. And no matter the shake of his head, he can't get himself out of this. Not his 8000 followers or his friends. His second thought is the recurring words of Ake as if they've met before.

"W-What are you doing? Don't come any closer. I warn you I have a very-"

"Chichichi! You never change." Usopp freezes when she gets close. And the rotting smell comes back. Ake smells like a decaying body. It's not the room. It's her. "Tell me what your weak points are."

"I-I-I don't have any, I swe-"

"Never mind the question. I already know. Your strongest assets are my enemy. Tell me, God Usopp," she squints and gets close to his face. "What are you thinking and plotting in that head of yours? Shall I drive this tool through your brain to end it all?"

Abruptly, she twists her back to him in anger. "But you would come back. They always do. They always do." And then she's back, staring at him with a small smile. "Nevertheless, I must break you. So what shall it be?"

"Um—ahhh!"

There's a stinging pain that jabs the left side of his rib. He'd never gotten stabbed before and the tears immediately leak from his eyes as he stares at her, biting his lip and trying not to cry. She stabbed him in the stomach. She really stabbed him.

But it doesn't stop there. Ake doesn't stop going with that small swift blade. She stabs his right shoulder and twists the knife. The popped bone stings when punctured. And her expression never changes. She keeps staring at Usopp's tearful eyes, waiting for something more.

But he won't give her the satisfaction. He won't let her win. Not while his crewmates are out there looking for him. He has to stay strong. The sniper is dangerously unaware of how limp he's gone after thinking about his crewmates. Dangerously unaware of how his mind ruled over his body and let go so that he wouldn't feel a thing. But he is aware of Ake stopping and getting bitter.

"It never ceases to amaze me," she mumbles quietly. "No matter how I change it, you never let it show. No matter how I break it, you don't stop thinking. Very well then, that should conclude our meeting for today. Besides keeping you here until Zerstorung finishes, I will gain no other joy." With that, Ake slowly runs the knife down Usopp's leg before sticking it into the bottom of his left foot. She leaves it there as she steps away.

The woman walks to a corner and presses a red button on the slab of stone. Usopp drops to the floor and his numb hands are released.

"Fuck!" He hisses when he lands on his left foot, knife driving deeper into flesh. When he looks up in pain, Ake is smiling at him.

"Well?" She asks.

He glares and positions himself better, surprising her again. Off the stricken foot and onto his knees. Carefully, he grabs hold of his right shoulder. The one that popped when he was trying to defend Oimo. The arm stops dangling. "When my crew get here, they won't like what you're doing here. To me or the others. My captain won't forgive you. For hurting _me_ specifically, he'll kill you."

"Compared to Gods like you and I, Monkey D. Luffy stands no chance." And then she's gone. As quietly and deadly as she'd come. And when he knows she's gone, Usopp closes his eyes and thinks hard.

_Limp, limp, limp._ And his arm gives out. Everything gives out and Usopp falls flat on the floor. He can't feel a thing. "That's good," he mumbles to no one in particular. Can't feel a thing. Not the broken arm, not the numb hands, not the stab wounds. The sniper looks around the now quiet room. The others….their chains have been released too besides the woman who is still crucified and Oimo who is chained in mind.

If she really were trying to keep them there, why release their chains as if they wouldn't strike when she returned? Unless, they wouldn't dare strike. Considering that Oimo was still in the corner with his blind friend trying to counsel him, Usopp knows he wouldn't dream of it. Maybe all of them here were already broken. So broken they didn't want to fight anymore. Usopp bites his lip and thinks about how easy it was for him to think and go limp. How easy it was to lay there on the musty ground and ignore the harsh reality: he was captured and bad things were going to happen. Broken. He wonders when his turn is or if it's already happened. He thinks about being broken like them and the thought makes him _angry._

_Get up, _Sogeking whispers. _Get up and fight. You aren't done yet. You can save them. And most importantly, save yourself._

Usopp sneers. He slams his left hand on the tile; with that the room goes quieter than the sound of silence. The others stare at the Straw Hat as he raises himself up on his stabbed shoulder. He grunts in pain and falls, but the good thing is, he lands on his ass and not his face. That gives him leverage to pull that damn blade from his foot. "Shhhh," he hisses in pain.

His left rib is still bleeding. Usopp grunts and rips off his arm band, immediately pressing hard on the wound, wondering if Noland is looking down in shame. With his good arm, Usopp yanks one suspender off his trousers and bites down on it, doing his best to wrap his right shoulder. With the other suspender, the man wraps his foot tightly. He lived on Boin Archipelago for two years. He knows survival just like Luffy. He knows how to not die.

And finally, when the bleeding stops, Usopp stands on both legs, leaning to the side, but nonetheless standing. Zoro comes to mind then and he mutters aloud to himself "I'll survive. You watch."

His eyes travel back to the rest, who are still staring. "We have to find a way out of here."

The wise old man stares incredulously, still on the floor. "What? Have you gone mad?"

"Crazy," Usopp replaces. "If we don't get out of here, we'll die."

"We can't die." A reassurance?

Usopp ignores what's been confusing him, opting instead to look around the dank room and see what he could utilize against Ake. His eyes spot the tools she left on the table and with as much grit as he can, the black boy hops over on a single foot. "What about these tools, huh?"

"They won't work. She cannot be killed either. You must stop this. You're confusing Oimo."

On the other side of the room is a set of books. Maybe, he thinks, they tell something about the prophecy and Ake's role in it. Maybe they say something about how she gets defeated. Usopp ignores the wise old giant and hops over to the books. After a few minutes of flipping through them, he hisses in irritation. They're all written in Runic. "I can't read these."

"God Usopp, you must stop this."

He then hops over to the metal door Ake left from. With ease, the sniper runs his hands over it, trying to find weak points. "If we work together, we can defeat her. Or even have time to bust out and get our strength up. Damnit! If only I had-."

"Stop this madness!" Usopp tenses and turns away from the door. The wise old giant has stood in his glory and is now staring down at Usopp with as much disappointment as he could muster. "She cannot be killed! She cannot be defeated. She will always come back. There is no point." The man sombers and kneels down to Usopp's level. "God Usopp, I am Loki, prince of Elbof." Usopp gasps. Jarl said he went quiet. If only he knew the kingdom's beloved leader had been alive and captive this entire time. "I have been captured for over 60 years. I know her like I once knew my kingdom. We cannot fight. We will not fight, for we have not the strength or mind. Death does not know the name Ake." Prince Loki turns back to Oimo and crouches to the younger giant. "Are you okay? I am sorry to upset you-"

"A man may fight and not be slain. There are far worse fates than death."

When Prince Loki looks back at Usopp, the 20 year old's head is down and his eyes are in the shadow of his curls. The only thing that he knows is real is the sneer on Usopp's mouth. "Pardon?"

The sniper's head shoots up and he glares hard at every one of them. "What kind of giants are you? What kind of _warriors_ are you? Your backs are against the wall and you still didn't want to fight!? I know firsthand how it feels to die without being dead. Trust me, it's possible.

A year ago, my crewmates and I were captured by a man who uses darkness to destroy everything. To swallow it up and bring it back tainted and ruined. He was going to turn us in to the World Government, but he wanted to break us first. He tortured us for days." Luffy and Zoro cross his mind. "Three of us more than anything. For the strongest in body, he tortured his limbs, not only breaking down our swordsman's strength, but his honor too. For the strongest in soul, he tortured his heart, taking it and putting it in again. I've seen my captain die more times than you can think of, so don't tell me a thing about death. And for the strongest in mind, he tortured my brain. I can't even remember how we got out of there but we did. It was only after we were away that we realized our captain was missing. He had stayed behind to hold off our captor." His eyes gloss over and he turns away from the giants abruptly. "The two of us went back and-"

He shakes his head and looks back at them. His hands roam over where his lungs lay. And then his liver and heart. And they don't see it, but there are black veins beneath the curls. Usopp knows what being brain dead is like too. "I know what dead is. And I know how to kill without actually killing. I know how it feels to be lost and give up." His fists tighten together. "But listen to me. If we work together and think, using our minds and strength, we can stop her and Zerstorung. We can break her down like she's tried with us. And tell her that she can't steal us from our dreams or precious people."

Usopp collapses to the floor, but he's smiling as he leans back against the door. He's thinking of all the ways he can stop her, but mostly how he'll see his crew again. "Trust me, giants. I won't let her stop me. I'm a Straw Hat Pirate, damnit. One of my friends cuts air and the other kicks with flames. Our doctor is a monster and the smartest person we know is a freak with a billion hands. The greatest Shipwright is half robot and our navigator rules the weather and islands. One of my friends _is _dead and our Helmsman is the god of the sea." Usopp laughs then and he doesn't care if he sounds crazy and that it hurts his stomach wound. "And my captain… my captain rules the whole fucking world.

Even without them, I know I can beat her. It's not a theory. I can feel it in my bones. I know how to stop her. I-" Usopp smirks, kind of getting it now. "I feel like I've done this before."

When he's done, he looks back at Prince Loki. "But with your help, I'll have experience. So what do you say?"

Loki is still staring with that unreadable expression. Eventually, he smiles softly at the human, almost proud. "Alright, God Usopp, I'm listening."

"Don't listen, sir. Teach me instead. I have to know everything you can remember in the past sixty years. Her behavior, how often does she visit? What does she focus on when she messes with you?"

For a millisecond, Prince Loki's eyes soften as they travel toward Oimo and then back to Usopp. "Why would our individual misfortunes assist you in overthrowing her?"

"She'll only target your biggest strengths. If we're here, those must be her weaknesses. If I know them, I can correlate a better plan."

The prince sighes. "She's targeted Oimo the most, breaking his body and soul. She claims that he is the strongest of us all. However, he is not the strongest in mind, which is why it was so easy to break his will."

Usopp nods solemnly. There's nothing more to know about how Ake tortures Oimo. An abused mind is the end. "And Kashi?" The name is a lump in his throat. Oimo has an anomaly that, with effort and time, can be mended. But Kashi, he'll never be able to see again.

"With Kashi, She targets his heart. Kashi is the most justified of us, at least what I've acquired from two years. He was the most vocal when they first came, throwing himself in front of Oimo and telling Ake how wrong she was. And she got so tired of him stopping what he was seeing her do, she ceased it completely. Kashi cannot stop what he cannot see."

"That's horrible."

"With me, she doesn't do much but target them. A true leader's weakness is his people. With Oimo and Kashi here, it doesn't take much for me to feel ashamed that I cannot protect them. That's it, God Usopp. I can only hope it does assist you."

Usopp nods, but he doesn't voice that those observations give him nothing. Maybe because he's so beat up that he can't truly formulate a thought. However, deep down he knows it just doesn't make sense. Why would she target them specifically? Why not other giants? Swiftly, his eyes go to the crucified woman. "What about her? What can you tell me about her?"

Loki frowns. "Not much. Her same is Frigg. She was here before even I. And Ake only speaks to her between months. However, do you see the color of those nails embedded in her skin?"

Usopp squints and then he gasps at the green. "Sea stone. A devil fruit."

Loki nods. "Yes. But there's something else. Something that could be far more important to you."

"What is it?" Usopp can't take it anymore. The anticipation is eating him away.

"That woman….Ake calls her 'sister' when she taunts her."

"Sister? Then that means she could be almost the same age. But how old is Ake? And why would she imprison her own sister? Is that all you know about her? Does she speak?"

Loki smiles in amusement. "I can tell you think a lot. I don't know how old she is and even after 60 years, I cannot pinpoint her motives. What I do know is that Frigg is the name of a Goddess in a story that my mother would read to me. As a God myself, I never took interest. However, the Frigg in my stories was more than 600 years old. I doubt this quiet woman is she."

Usopp blinks and rubs his heart. "That's right. Jarl told me about a goddess named Frigg known for her foresight and knowledge. Come to think of it, he did mention something about her being associated with earth, even going as far as theorizing that she was as old as the earth." Usopp glares hard at the ground. "But it's still not enough. I need to know about that prophecy."

And suddenly, as those words leave his mouth, something happens that shocks everyone. A guttural sounds rises like a dry throat; like a sleeping animal. Oimo jumps, Kashi is unaffected, Loki's head snaps down and Usopp is rendered speechless. He can't do anything but stand and stare.

In just a few moments, Frigg's head has upturned and she's staring at Usopp with an intense look. His eyes….she has them. Brown and honey. It's quiet for more than five minutes and Usopp begins to think it wasn't even real. Whatever sound that was never came. However, her fingers twitch. Those dead fingers that are bluer than Sanji's eyes twitch. And the sound comes again. This time, he knows it's from her throat. This time, he knows she's trying to speak.

"Hello," he whispers.

Another guttural sound. "He—llo—_w_." Her word is drawled our like she's trying it for the first time. Her voice is cracked and quiet; froggy and timid.

And Loki confirms that when he murmurs "in all these years, I have never heard her speak."

The woman's fingers twitch once more and they finally awaken, cracking as they point to Usopp. "ᛁ ᚴᚾᛟᚹ ᚨᛒᛟᚢᛏ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛈᚱᛟᛈᚺᛖᚲᚤ."

The others blink, stupefied by the language. Even the frightened Oimo is staring in obvious confusion. No one says a thing, but Frigg continues.

"ᚷᛟᛞ ᚢᛋᛟᛈᛈ ᚴᚾᛟᚹᛋ ᛏᛟᛟ."

Loki shakes his head finally. "We cannot understand you. Do you kn-"

Usopp raises a hand to Loki although he's still staring at Frigg. "She's speaking in Runes. It's Runic. By the Gods, this is the God Frigg."

The woman smiles at Usopp sadly and a cut appears on her dry lips. She nods slowly at him.

Usopp smiles. He's trying to remember everything Jarl told him about Frigg. But those were from stories. He'd have to confirm it.

"Can you really tell the future?"

Frigg's head turns to the side, but after a few moments she nods. "Foo—cher. Ahead? Yes. Yes."

"Then that means she can tell us-"

"_No,"_ Usopp hisses at Loki's suggestion. He has to stop that here and now. "It doesn't work like that. Frigg tells no one the future. And even if she did, we have to defeat Ake by our own will. We can't mess up what could happen."

"But if we knew…" Loki trails off.

"What kind of defeat would that be? What kind of warriors would we be if we became dishonorable to our own morals? How would we look to stoop as low as Ake? And if Frigg has a godly power like that, her sister has something up her sleeve." Usopp thinks about how Ake targeted him miles from Elbaf and in his mind. "Yeah. I know she does." A vital thought comes to mind then. "How often does Ake come here? Into this room?"

Loki answers with a small frown. "She should be back in a few hours. She comes each morning and each night. She uses some kind of power to tie us up again."

Usopp nods. "We can stop here then. This is enough to get us started, but I can't formulate a plan until I see her again. She could be watching. Changing her steps to always stay ahead of ours. We have to do this quietly." Usopp clutches the dirty suspender wrapped around his stomach. "Don't worry. This can only last a day or two. It won't be like this for long." The sniper laughs softly and smiles up at them in encouragement. "Just endure this a little longer. And then I'll get us all out of here. You'll see. Just you wait. We're going to be as free as the King of the Pirates."

Kashi smiles although he's looking past him. "Thank you, my dear friend." Oimo's stitched mouth quirks upward a little before he looks down to the floor. Even the hardened Loki smiles at Usopp.

But what surprises the Straw Hat more than anything is Frigg's dry lips cracking even more and her froggy voice telling him. "Will….like….someone long gone….now….long gone."

* * *

Ake returns only after several hours. Usopp's wounds have now since healed a little nicely despite the bruising. They're closed and to a Straw Hat Pirate, a closed wound is a healed one. The underground cellar is still damp and dank, smelling and tasting of mold, but he's in better spirits. Heck, even his hands have gotten some color. Instead of the unused blue, his greatest limbs are a swelling red.

Right now, he's sitting before Frigg, telling her and the giants a story he once told Jinbe in order to prove that sky giants were mightier than sea giants. He has to talk a lot louder for Kashi, which is no easy feat as this was once a story of humbling origins. But he has no problem sounding mighty for the others. Their spirits are as high as the gates of justice and he won't let them get knocked down.

The man stands high as he nears the end of the story. "But this Shapeshifter had a power more daring than all the devil fruits put together. Even the gum gum fruit. It was neither him or her, friend or foe, here nor there, so really how could it's weakness be the venom of a small slippery snake?"

Frigg laughs softly and it's softer than her old voice. "Kikikiki."

Usopp smiles at her. "I laughed too when I heard it, but the Sky King was determined. He didn't care how many people laughed or ridiculed the plan. He had been through too many that had already failed. So he made a plan to lure the shapeshifter to a mountain. It wasn't easy. It took countless tries and indefinite wit, for it was a smart creature often winning a battle by using its powers of all knowing."

While Usopp is telling the story, he doesn't even feel himself get lifted into the air or the invisible barrier around his waist. He doesn't hear the door slide open because he's too engrossed in the victory of the sky king. And he doesn't notice the sheer hate in Ake's eyes as she raises him in the air. His eyes are closed and his smile is smug.

"Eventually he bested the shapeshifter. He was a humbled man, always hoping, and the shapeshifter was a power hungry fool, always boasting. Their difference in power was clear. He was mightier by a -"

Usopp stops once he opens his eyes to smile at Frigg, but frowns when he stares into the ugly eyes of her sister. And Ake is angry. If her sneer isn't anger, he doesn't know what is. "Umm," he mutters in question, no fear in his face. The only thing she can do is hurt him. But he's been hurt before. Worse than this.

Ake's head turns in confusion by the statement. She raises Usopp higher when her hands go up and whisper "away."

He doesn't know how fast he flew away from her, but it was fast. One millisecond he was in her face and then—booom!

The sniper slams into the stone wall so hard, it feels like his spine cracks on impact. His chest hurts so bad and he coughs haphazardly, spitting up blood. When he opens his eyes, Ake raises her other hand and wraps Kashi and Loki in chains. But she's crushing Usopp further, making the dent in the stone larger. And finally, he can't take it anymore and he screams in both pain and anger.

"Do not underestimate your enemy, God!" Ake screams at him. "Do you bethink me a fool? For I have seen a thousand of your plans. I have dismantled and cracked every plan you threw at me and I will continue to do so. Even if you come back and Zerstorung must happen a thousand times to be perfect, I will always win."

Usopp's eyes are fixed a yard behind her and his lips are pursed and open. He's confused no doubt, his mind a surging perplexity. He never started plans. Not a single one. And he's never been here to leave and return. So why does she talk like they know one another? Is she confused too? He's stupefied and it shows. Ake flicks her hand and mutters "inhale," which sends the sniper flying toward.

He stops just inches away and he tries to break free of the invisible bonds around him. This was more than any devil fruit could ever have.

Ake smiles as he struggles. "There won't be any plans this time, however. Not while Usopp is locked away. This time, I made sure of it."

Usopp glares at her and figures he should play at her game. If she has them locked away, they must be important to Zerstorung. They must be powerful enough to stop it. Which means that Ake, who has some kind of God like power, fears them. It may not be fear of strength, but they're a threat to her.

"You're a coward. The only way you can win is having us locked away. Even Marshall D. Teach has more guts than you."

Ake's eyes travel to the black veins over his body and hands. "Darkness?" She mutters.

"Those wounds are worse than you'll ever leave me. Your little power is nothing compared to this, so you may as well stop trying to hurt me-"

Ake gets close to his face. "Do not speak to me of dark fire. I know firsthand the sting it can create and the scars it can leave." Half of Ake's face disappears and what's left is charred flesh, burned and smoking. She inhales deeply and when she moves away, the burn goes too.

He stares at her in horror. "W-w-what are you?"

The woman smiles and she drops Usopp to the floor. She twirls in her heels and spreads her arms. "I am Ake! The voice in your head! The woman of your doom! Destroyer of all things."

And suddenly, it's all clear to him. Ake is the shapeshifter. Ake is the boaster. And apparently, she doesn't take kindly to venom. That explains why she was so angry when she came in, hearing his story. But could a story of his, created at the whim of entertainment, really tell something?

"With the God God fruit on my side, I am neither here nor there. But I can plant thoughts, make you see and hear things. Make you believe things. I bring destruction and create anew. And nothing can kill me."

Usopp frowns and he doesn't know that he mutters aloud "except evil itself, ironically."

Her head twists to him. "What did you say?"

"N-Nothing. Nothing at all, I swear-"

"You cannot beat me, God Usopp." Ake frowns at the floor. "If this continues….if you continue thinking and planting hope in the minds of these fools, I will hurt them."

It isn't Usopp that speaks, but Loki instead. "You've done that for years. It doesn't scare us."

Usopp nods, but Ake only smiles. She lifts a finger and a round bubble appears in thin air. Usopp squints at the image inside and then he gasps, his eyes watering instantly.

In the bubble, is Monkey D. Luffy on the shoulder of Jarl. His eyes are tired and it looks like he hasn't eaten in days. "Usopp!" He screams. "Where are you?!"

"Luffy," he whispers.

The image changes and one by one, it shows each of the Straw Hats looking in their own separate locations. Ake smiles through each. "Which one should I target?"

The image goes from Robin in a shaded area to an annoyed Zoro walking through a moist area. "Usopp? If you're playing around, you better damn well come o-"

Ake raises a hand high in the air and yells "I choose him!" When she yanks down, Zoro loses his footing and falls into the mud.

The sheer force and amount of mud obviously catches the swordsman by surprise and the more he struggles the faster Ake pulls down. "He's sinking," she taunts, bringing back familiar memories.

"Zoro!" The sniper jumps up only to fall back down. "Okay! Okay! Leave him alone. I won't try anything. Just _please_. Let them go."

He's crying now. Begging and pleading for her to stop. To his surprise, she does. Zoro overcomes the mud and climbs out falling onto the dry forest floor and staring at the hole in horror. It's the first time Usopp sees him like that. Like he almost died.

The image disappears and Ake steps back. "I am more than happy you understand, God."

And then she's gone. Usopp stays there on the floor with his head down for what seems like hours. She made a fool out of him, using his biggest weakness. "Usopp." Frigg croaks. "Are you okay?"

Usopp looks up. "Let's get started." Using his crew against him only ignited the flame. It just means he'll have to be faster in defeating her.

* * *

He spends most of the night looking through the textbook in Runes, working with Frigg to translate the text into little English she knows. He doesn't learn much, but the little he gets he hopes will be valuable information in the near future.

Some things are things Jarl already told him about. Like the burning bridge Bifrost and the regions in Elbof Kingdom. They're just told in the perspective of ancient times.

Bifrost is a burning bridge between Aderhof and Mithof. The bridge ended in heaven at residence of Heimdallr, who guarded it from humans. Frigg knew him once. Apparently, Gods can die too.

In Elbof mythology, the cosmos were said to center around Aschebaum, the oldest tree in the world. Not much is said about the prophecy as far as he goes, but he does learn a few things about the Gods that died during the first Zerstorung.

Thor was the strongest of them all, protecting Mithof with his trusted hammer. Tyr was the god of law and justice although he did share the principal of war god with Odin and Thor. Freyr was the god of fertility and peace, often associated with the sun.

One of the more interesting Gods was Heimdallr, the watchmen of the gods. He was called shining god and was rumored to be able to see 100 leagues, and could hear grass growing in the meadows and wool growing on sheep. During Zerstorung, the end of the world for giants and men, it was believed that Heimdallr sounded his horn to summon the Gods when the giants were coming. He and his enemy Loki would fatally wound one another.

"Loki?" Usopp quips during Frigg's story. His eyes go to the Prince who shakes his head in confusion. It's not him, but he had no idea there was a Loki from ancient Elbof, much less in Zerstorung. They both look to Frigg in confusion, assuming the ancient woman would know, but she sits there quietly.

Usopp shrugs it off and goes on, asking about these symbols and those symbols. Surtr was a fire giant who started Zerstorung by setting fire to everything.

And then they get to Odin. One-eyed, wolf and raven-flanked, and spear in hand, Odin was said to be the ruler of Aderhof, leader to all the Gods. As well as being a God of war, he was known for his wisdom and constant pursuit of knowledge. A mortal enemy to Surtr, Odin is said to have started Zerstorung. Being a simple man turned God who offended Surtr during his travels. Odin had a strong association to death, wisdom, and bravery. In an act of self-sacrifice, Odin is described as having hanged himself on the cosmological tree Aschebaum to gain knowledge of the runic alphabet, which he passed on to humanity.

Usopp recalls asking Jarl if sacrifice was how Odin learned the alphabet. "I knew it."

That's when they got to Frigg. Instead of reading, Usopp instead asks to hear from the woman herself. She was Odin's wife. And Odin was his great grandfather six times over. Frigg was his grandmother, which explained why she had Usopp's skin, eyes, and curly hair.

"I am wife of Odin. I be here for more than 600 years. I planted a lot in my old time...master botanist." The dark woman laughs. "Even taught my own husband." Usopp smiles. So that's where the Montblanc's got it from. "The power fruits. I made them. Planted them all alone."

"Power fruits?"

"Fruits like God God fruit. I made them."

"You planted the devil fruits? Created all of them?"

"Yes."

Usopp can't believe it. He has so many questions: like how and what was the reason? Why scatter them around the globe as if to test the heart of humanity? It was pretty scary that people like Luffy could have devil fruits, but people like Blackbeard could too? Why does her sister have one? What's her own devil fruit power? So many questions and so little time. He wants to know. He wants to know everything.

But he settles and just says "the devil fruit...the God God fruit that Ake has," he murmurs, gaining all attention. "You have that too don't you?"

Frigg's eyes widen and he knows he's right. The God God fruit is possibly the only known fruit to have a double that coexists with the other. _Shatter the very souls my dear sister worked so hard on creating._ The God God fruit was much more than either sister let on, much bigger than any fruit imagined. Frigg, the master Botanist, was the mastermind, the ultimate God that hides in the shadows of her husband. Frigg had started everything. Frigg was a threat not even Usopp could comprehend.

"How did….you know?"

Usopp shrugs. "Why else would she keep you in chains and let the rest of us down? You have to be the same kind of threat to her as she is to you. She can say we're all Gods here, but the only that could give her a run for her money is the one she keeps at a distance. You probably know how to use your own devil fruit better than she." Usopp laughs ironically and stares at the ground in a daze. "Which means, you're probably the only one that knows how to beat her. Am I right?"

Frigg looks down. "I…" falters, hesitates for a second. "Was. I was… I did...once."

"Damn," Usopp smiles, but he means it. He's more damned than he's ever been. Frigg was the only one that really could take down her sister. But after 600 years of crucifixion, there was too much to heal in the little time they had. He doesn't know what to do now, despite the information and tricks he has up his sleeve.

"Do not underestimate your enemy." The sniper looks up in surprise of Frigg speaking clearly and the woman smiles. "Ake must take heed of her own words. God Usopp is going to surprise."

"Me?"

Frigg nods and Usopp resists the urge to giggle as the woman looks like a rag doll. "God Usopp may not have the God God fruit yet, but he has the strength of God's haki."

His eyes narrow in confusion. "God's Haki?"

Frigg nods. "Only one in whole world has it. The power to make people follow with just words. Not strength like Conquerors or smart like observation. Just will. And I….feel it. In you, God Usopp. I haven't felt it for a long time."

Usopp blinks for a long while before he laughs. "That's crazy! Come on, do you really think that of all the people in this world to have a haki stronger than _conquerors,_ it would be me?" He's nothing compared to half the pirates they've encountered in the new world. Sure, he was able to get some pirates to join the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, and sure he was able to get Oimo and Kashi to follow him on Enies Lobby, and maybe all those toys and dwarves in Dressrosa looked up to him. But Usopp was just Usopp, more human than most of the Straw Hats.

Instead of Frigg, Loki speaks up. "After sitting with you for just a few hours, I would not doubt it for a second. I'm a prince of my people and even I felt a pull to follow your lead. There's an aura around you that says power and prosperity. You are truly and undeniably God Usopp."

Usopp shakes a little at the speech. He always wanted people to notice him, but he gets scared when they do. Like really scared. "What-What are you saying?"

Astoundingly, Loki bends down on both his knees. Carefully he lays his large head upon the floor, right before the sniper. "When we make it out, and if we have to fight Ake, I will follow you to my dying breath."

Kashi grins in the back. "Me too! I'd follow you, my friend!" Oimo nods softly in agreement.

Usopp shakes his head. "You guys…" _I'm just Usopp._ They wait for his words. "We're going to get out of here and stop Zerstorung. And we're gonna live. It's the only option."

They cheer, their hopes restored. But there's a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something bad is going to happen. Something horrifying to each and everyone of them. And in the pit of his stomach, Usopp feels he'll be the only one unlucky enough to live through it.

* * *

He doesn't know how much time he spends in the cellar. Learning and getting beat, watching his friends get beat, watching them lose fire and reigniting it for them.

He hasn't eaten since he's been here, but he and the others drink water out of a filthy sink in the back. Ake has come in more times than he likes, beating him and showing him that definitions belong to the definers and not the defined. She uses his crew against him showing Robin being executed by the World Government, Franky being dismantled, Jinbe suffocated, and all the rest.

It hurts worse with Luffy. His best friend. His soulmate. But it's the only thing keeping him sane. Thinking about Luffy and him smiling, telling Usopp he'll kick his ass if he ever runs away again. And trying to kiss him sloppily in front of everyone. Holding him in his rubbery trap and laughing at his protests.

He misses them all and he can't wait to see how they'll react when they know he's alive all this time.

Franky is going to want to stay up with him all night, working on something, anything, trying to make sure the sniper doesn't disappear like his parents, or Tom, or Iceberg.

Nami will surely raise his debt a few million beri's for making her sensitive soul worry about him. He can imagine her from time to time, pacing the deck and muttering curses.

Chopper would cry in his arms forever, complaining that Usopp lied about never leaving again. That Water 7 was supposed to be the first and final time. He'd fret over his injuries: his bruised face and ripped arm. The infected stab wounds.

Of the most to be hurt, it'd be Sanji. Sanji was the one he always spent most of his time with, despite new crew members and despite the captain's love for Usopp, Sanji was his best best friend. They could sit for hours in the kitchen and talk about everything or sit around the crow's nest, not saying a word. Now, it hurts to breathe on an empty stomach and Usopp can see his ribs. He's weakened no doubt, more from the hunger than the beatings. Sanji knows hunger and it's going to kill him. He can imagine the cook. Staring at him and saying "it hurts like a bitch I know. There's no worse feeling."

Robin will surely want to stay with him and let him speak; speak about his feelings, his fears, the doubts, Ake, the situation. They share a desire to know, the sniper and archaeologist.

Zoro will try to heal them both the best way he knows how. By moving on. He won't talk about it. In fact, he'd treat Usopp how he always treated him, getting yelled at by Chopper if he slaps Usopp's broken back too hard or kicked by Sanji and Nami if he wrestles the malnourished sniper like always. Quietly and obviously, he'll tolerate Usopp more. It's always been that way. Over the evil navigator, the annoying cook, and the idiot captain, Zoro always tolerated Usopp a little more. While Usopp's healing, Zoro will kick at Luffy and Chopper, but let Usopp stick around while he's sleeping. He'll push his plate in Usopp's direction if Luffy takes all. He'll listen to him and heal with him. Because Usopp in a situation like this doesn't just fuck him up. It breaks down the Straw Hat's protector as well.

Jinbe will probably try to protect Usopp with his dying core, throwing himself before the sniper every chance he gets, which Usopp won't mind.

Brook's going to be careful around Usopp, stepping on his toes and making sure Usopp doesn't die. After the sniper, captain, and swordsman had almost lost their lives with Blackbeard, the skeleton had been faced with the harsh reality that no one else has the revive-revive fruit. If Usopp loses to his injuries and malnourishment, he can't come back.

However they react, Usopp won't care. He'll just be happy as hell to be around them again. And today has to be the day.

There's a heavy dent in the wall where Ake slammed Usopp. And when Usopp looks close enough, usually a few hours before Ake arrives, he can see light filter through like a good dream. So they weren't underground at all, as he wrongly believed.

As of now, he wasn't strong enough to get through it alone. Neither were the giants, but he knew who was. And if everything worked out, Ake would be her own downfall.

If Frigg was right and he could use the right amount of God's Haki on Ake, they would be out of there in no time. She underestimated him too much, leaving his Kuro Kabuto and a few random pop greens in his pockets and two very useful dials. Leaving the books on the table and the weapons she used on them within his reach. The only threat she saw was his mind.

The anticipation kills him. On one hand, he wants to leave, and on the other he doesn't. He's not Frigg, he can't tell the future. But he knows bad things are going to happen once they're out. Not only because Ake is happy as she tells them Zerstorung gets closer and closer, but because Frigg is saddened when she looks at them and they speak of breaking free. She tries to hide it, but Usopp knows.

"What are you thinking about, Usopp?" Broken from his thoughts by Kashi, Usopp stands as straight as he can and limps over to Frigg.

"What we're going to do when we actually get out of here. If Zerstorung will happen and how my crew will react when they see me."

Loki shakes his head. "Should we be thinking of that?"

"Not at all. Our main priority is following through with the plan and getting distance between us and her." He stares at Frigg for a good while before smiling softly. Ake will be here in a few minutes, so they have to get ready. "You ready?" Frigg nods sharply after a moment. "No doubt, it's going to be hard. You won't be able to use your limbs at all. But I'm not leaving you behind, Frigg. I'll carry you down Aschebaum if I have to."

Frigg smiles and nods again. With that, Usopp carefully reaches up, his hand resting on the sea stone nail embedded in her shin. He hesitates for a moment, afraid as always. But he hasn't got time to wait and think about what could happen. Ake is on her way.

_Do it, Usopp. The world depends on you!_

Sogeking's yell is enough for him to yank the nail out. Free from force, Frigg's leg dangles in midair as if there's wind somewhere. Usopp sighs in relief. At least nothing exploded. It gives him reassurance, and he continues on, plucking the nails from her other shin, both her feet, her palms, forearms, and chest. She's lighter than Chopper as she falls into his arms and almost as short. Usopp hoists her carefully even though she's paralyzed from the neck down and won't feel a thing. "I've gotcha."

"What do you think you're doing?!"

She's here. Usopp inhales deeply. He can do this. He knows he can do this. Carefully, he sits Frigg down on the floor, leaning her against the wood. He turns to Ake and stares. Her face is contorted with anger from that venomous outbursts. But, he's come to learn that she's more scared than anything. When Ake gets pissed like that, she's terrified. Good. He's got her right where he wants her.

"What does it look like?" He taunts.

Ake points an accusatory finger. "Put her back! Put her back!"

"Why?" He starts moving closer to her, away from Frigg. Instead he moves directly in front of the dented wall. "Are you scared? Afraid she's going to take you down? Or take the other half of your face?"

Ake gasps sharply, surprised that Usopp knows this. "That's right. It wasn't Blackbeard that used the darkness-darkness fruit on you. It was your sister." Frigg was the ultimate God. Not only did Usopp learn that she had the God-God fruit, but Frigg also had the Mimic-mimic fruit. Of all the devil fruits she created, she could use any of their powers, mimicking their moves with ease.

The last time they fought, Ake lost. Tremendously and embarrassingly. Her sister had just planted the darkness-darkness fruit and used it against her, ruining half of her body. That's when they realized that Gods could be hurt too.

Ake bites her marred lip, no doubt trying to find an escape route to the sticky web of manipulation Usopp has weaved. He's a skilled liar at best, rivaling Ake when it came to making people believe things. She shakes her head as if to clear it. "It won't stop me! It won't stop anything! She's weakened and I've adapted! Nothing will change!"

The fact that she's yelling tells otherwise. When Ake screams, as observed, she's really just afraid. He has the advantage. He moves closer, threatening the invisible barrier spread about her. Up close and personal taunts required up close and personal invasion.

"I think it will. And while you can't die, I think you're just like everyone else!" He is fucking _terrified_. She could crush him at any given moment; raise her hand and squeeze her palm together. He'd be nothing but a black hole. And he's scared. He's too young to die….too handsome...too much wasted talent. And therefore, he has no choice but to stand up to her. If he doesn't, then he'll surely die. "We can break you just like you did us. How does that sound huh? You and I both know it'd be all too easy for me. To make your strengths your weaknesses. To _think_ of something that could actually kill yo-"

With more force than before, Usopp is raised in the air and thrown with more force too. He hits the wall harder and this time, it doesn't just sting, it breaks too. His back feels like a large wasp has stung him, rendering him paralyzed and immobile, all the while able to feel the weight of a thousand men on his back.

The wall shatters. Like glass, it crumbles away and the debris flies out into the field, burned by daylight. Loki gasps and squints. Oimo scrambles away into the dark. Frigg exhales in relief and Kashi is stupefied by the warmth. It's the first time - in 600 years for Frigg, 60 for Loki, two for Oimo and Kashi, and possibly months for Usopp - that they see and feel the sun.

"Focus!" Usopp barks and then they're all back to the task at hand. Get out and leave Usopp behind.

Loki scrambles on his feet and picks Frigg up carefully. Oimo grabs Kashi's hand, and together the four make way for freedom. Ake screams in a rage.

"Get back here!" She lifts her hand, ready to pull them back to her, but nothing happens. She does it again and still nothing happens. By this time, all that needed to be protected was gone. Now Usopp could really fight. Ake stops to stare at her now useless hand and tenses at the sinister laugh of God Usopp. "What did you do?" She accuses.

Her eyes travel downward to the small purple shell in his palm. It's old looking, cracked a little on the sides. Ake frowns, recognizing the sea shell as a small toy she left in the boy's pants. "Is this….is this the power of a God?"

Due to the vital circumstances, Usopp resists the urge to laugh. Ake may be an 'all knowing' and powerful god, but she sure as hell wasn't that intelligent. And she had the boasts of pure brute and strength to prove it. Robin's book was right. Prolonged life has ruined more men than it has ever created. Her powers alone won't save her. Usopp has the upper hand. He knows how to think.

He sneaks a snarky remark in to get her riled up like a volcano. "Better than anything you've ever seen, right? At least better than yours."

"Fool!" Ake raises a hand and by close observation, he can tell she's using force, trying to blow him away now. Her fingers flex back and her palm sticks out. Usopp grits his teeth. It was worse than being pulled in by her if the wall was anything to go by. He'll have to take half the force of this hit if he wants to use this particular dial.

And it still hurts as he slides back against the tile floor, trying to get a grip. He hisses in pain when it feels like his stomach is being ripped into two, and then nothing. It's enough. Two pulls and a push from Ake has to be enough. Usopp pushes the dial back into his pocket, tapping it like a good pet. Now he has to do what he's always been good at. Marksmanship.

It's a game to them both really, while Ake tries to kill him - levitating, growling, doing all sorts of God-like things - Usopp dodges with ease and precision. Eventually, they tire out. Ake remaining stationary and breathing hard to exhale her anger. Usopp huddled behind an old chair, getting his slingshot ready.

"Tired already, God?" Ake taunts although she does sound curious.

Usopp rubs at his sore stomach wound, but shakes his head as if she can see. "Not even close," he manages to get out. But shit, fighting on empty ribs is nothing short of hell. He'd rather deal with open wounds. "You?"

"Chichichi. I'm just getting started."

The sniper grins. "I know." With ease and precision, he turns quickly enough to shoot at Ake. "Green Star: Trampolia!"

Ake dodges the big flower with the bubble in the center. She looks at it in smugness as if he isn't even worthy enough. "You fool, have you forgotten who I am?"

Usopp bites his lip when he turns back. She's getting close to the flower, not seeing it as a threat. Closer. Closer. Ake is launched in the air with force by the pop green, but she hits the ceiling hard enough for it to shake. When she does fall back down, her face is contorted in humiliation. She got fooled by what she believed to be a mere toy.

"That's good," Usopp tells her. "Keep underestimating me. I've got time!"

"You little-" Ake stands with the intent to hurt him, but she doesn't realize that she stands close to Trampolia. And once more, she's knocked into the air, hitting the ceiling with force. Usopp stands while she's mid air and shoots again.

"Green Star: Devil!"

The Venus flytrap clamps down on his enemy and although it's not much against someone like her, it buys the sniper time to get close to the hole in the wall, still displaying daylight like nothing's wrong.

Ake flexes an untrapped hand and everything becomes dust. The flytrap and Trampolia. She falls to the ground and collects herself, staring hard at the ground.

_This is it, _he thinks. Usopp crouches on a knee and reaches into his pocket to grab the dial used earlier. And another pop green. This was it. If he dies, Usopp blinks rapidly….if he dies, he knows he died well. His crew will know that he gave it his all and his captured friends will know that he protected them. That he died a hero. A brave warrior of the sea. This wasn't in the plan. To use the dial _and_ the pop green. If they'd known, they wouldn't have left. They wouldn't have let him sacrifice himself.

Ake should run up to him with enough speed to match her anger and humiliation. And when she gets close enough…..

Usopp shoots the pop green and it goes for the wall behind him. She's still running for him. "Green Star: Skull Exploding Grass!"

And before the pop green has time to explode on impact Usopp pushes the dial close to Ake's face. The woman halts in horror, afraid of what comes next. "Reject Dial!"

There's an undeniable pain in his arm and Usopp's eyes are closed before he even has the chance to feel the burn.

* * *

**With the Straw Hat Pirates**

**Home of Mountain Beard Jarl**

Robin stares out the window in anticipation and cluelessness. For two months, they've been searching for Usopp after he ran into the forest yelling Sanji's name. And there had been nothing in those two months. No sign or trace, no witnesses or suspicious activity.

Chopper can't follow his scent and there's nothing in the forest that shows signs of him ever being.

Their first thought was that he had left the crew again, but it was immediately ruled out by both Zoro and Luffy. Usopp had been acting off the last few days and he wouldn't leave if he was so scared of something.

No there was something wrong. The only problem was, they didn't know what. Leaving Usopp was not an option, even if he did defect, it still wasn't an option.

Robin jumps slightly at the sound of a large plate hitting the table. It's Jarl, who helps when searching for their beloved sniper. He sits across from the captain. "Eat. You haven't eaten in weeks."

Luffy shakes his head once. "Not hungry."

Sanji frowns. "Luffy, how do you expect to find Usopp-"

"Not hungry," the Monkey says again. This time with a no-nonsense tone. "Until Usopp eats, I ain't eating." The man has it in his head that he can feel Usopp's every pain, and he went as far as holding his shoulder on the first day Usopp disappeared, groaning about his stomach, ribs hurting.

It scared them all really, whether they believed Luffy or not. Because that meant something horrible could be happening to Usopp. They looked all over Elbaf Kingdom, going as far as traveling up and down Grofluss to check Aderhof, the now dead realm of the Gods. But Usopp was nowhere to be found.

It was like he never existed.

She and the navigator know they can't stay on Elbaf for too long. And sooner or later, they'll have to make a decision. Who stays looking for Usopp and who moves forward.

No doubt, the first half will want to stay; refuse to leave. The swordsman, navigator, captain, cook, and sniper all share a connection a lot deeper than the already deep whole meaning of the Straw Hat pirates.

They'll try to play it off as if no one sees it. Zoro will bluff about needing to stay with the captain and Sanji will refuse to let Zoro one up him. Nami will either have to stay with the 'strong' or keep them in line. But they don't want to split again. Robin still can't fathom the pain the core members went through when they had to split in Whole Cake, much less Sabaody. If anyone stays, it has to be them.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we can't stay here forever, captain. What will happen if we have to split up and half the crew must stay behind and wait for him?"

"Then I'm staying," Luffy huffs as if they've been arguing. Given, the captain would never leave a crewmate behind but this was Usopp they were speaking of. Monkey D. Luffy's Usopp, the love of his life and best friend.

"Me too," Nami declares. "They won't know the first thing about leaving this island when we do get Usopp back. And No one else can keep our captain under control like I can."

Zoro crosses his arms. "Then there's no argument that I have to stay. If Usopp has a problem, I'm gonna cut down anyone who gets in my way of solving it."

"Me too." Sanji lights a cigarette and inhales deeply. "Usopp's going to need the four of us the most when we find him." It's not logical. Usopp won't need the swordsman and the navigator is best with the crew that moves on from Elbaf. At most, he'll need Sanji to eat and Chopper for his possible wounds. But Sanji says nothing of it.

Luffy surely understands what they're doing, but he says nothing of it either. Instead he remarks "we can't leave yet, Robin. Not while Usopp is still-"

Out on the rolling skyline, fifty miles away, at the end of Grofluss, a lancelike ray of blue-white light shoots up into the gathering dusk. Robin squints out the window into the distance as the others grow quiet. From the window of Mountain Beard Jarl, where she's perched on the windowsill like a cliff edge, one can see the lonesome castle of Prince Loki. Robin stares at the light that came from it.

An instant later, there's a blinding flash, like sheet-lightning, and a huge ball of varicolored fire belches upward, leaving a series of smoke-rings to float more slowly after it. That fireball flattens, then spreads to form the mushroom-head of a column of incandescent gas that mounted to overtake it, engorging the smoke-rings as it rose, twisting, writhing, changing shape, turning to dark smoke in one moment and belching flame and crackling with lightning the next.

The castle of Prince Loki and many before him explodes into nothing. All is quiet for a long while, as the remaining Straw Hats are discomforted by the sound and flash that appears outside. She doesn't know that she stands there for more than ten minutes, staring and being waited upon. They want answers. What was the noise? And the sight? And why was she so afraid? Despite it being up Grofluss, residents of Elbaf village could see the castle very well. She squints for the slightest movement up there that isn't loose stone falling from its unstable peers, tumbling like hope.

Something quivers. Falls back flat on the destruction and quivers again. She squints harder, watching the object quiver, rise, quiver, fall, and rise again.

And finally, as if the sun is compelling it to do so, the object stands as full as it can, bent over and hacking its lungs all over the place. It stands there, hunched, bathing and stealing away sunlight, so skinny, Robin doesn't need to use her devil fruit to see the protruding ribs as it breathes deep and hard.

The figure, human, collapses again. And it's down for another long moment, dead maybe. And then it stands once more, hunching again, gaining air. And finally, because it's dead no longer, it turns. Into the light and shows it's face, it's greatest vulnerability. The bruises and cuts. The fear and courage. The long nose of a liar.

Robin gasps and flinches back. She covers her mouth lightly and when that doesn't work, she bites her lip. And that doesn't work either. Her throat chokes out a sob and her eyes tear up. It's over. The long period of strength. The long period of not crying that started after leaving the dark and lonely Enies Lobby.

"Robin, what's going on? What was that sound?"

On the hill, it is not the explosion that makes her wonder. But the small figure limping away from it all, clutching his arm and bending low. He's wounded and skinnier than she's ever seen him but she can't be mistaken. She knows her Nakama like she knows the poneglyphs.

She bites her lip and turns with a bright smile on her tear stricken face. "It's...it's Usopp!" She lets it sink in like sand. It's like Nami moves in slow motion when she stares in stricken fear...it can't be real, she's probably thinking. And Sanji stands as slow as he can while Zoro stares at her like she's lying. "He's alive!"

Slowly, Monkey D. Luffy's mouth and eyes open in wonder and awe before they both clench shut. He's smiling that large one like he's satisfied.

The other Straw Hats go crazy, some running around in joy, others coming to the window and squinting to see the figure walking slowly into the forest. "Jarl, how long until we can get up Grofluss?" Robin asks.

The giant nods. "An hour, as always."

The woman nods. "Luffy, we-" she stops mid sentence, looking around the room. "He's gone!"

Sanji jumps to the door too. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get Usopp!"

Nami jumps on Zoro's back as the swordsman runs after Sanji and her hands go up in celebration. "Alright!"

* * *

His vision is hazy, but if he continues to go left into the forest, he'll eventually meet up with Frigg and the others. God, everything hurts.

His arm hurts the worst. In truth, he had lied. Ake's tortures made Blackbeard's look and feel like a kiss on the neck, ticklish and desired.

Despite being able to maneuver his right arm, the shoulder bone hurt like hell and dangled out of its socket like flower roots out of dirt. That was a result of the stab wound and the power of the reject dial. Giving Ake a taste of her own medicine times ten should have killed him. He doesn't know why it didn't, and a small part of his heart wishes it should have. He wishes it blew him to pieces so that he wouldn't have to face the disappointment if Ake reaches them; if Zerstorung begins. Death now would be a lot better than staring into the soft eyes of Oimo and hearing the wordless pirate say "I believed in you." Not to mention he's scared. Frigg said it herself. Those with the God-God fruit cannot die. And Loki said it too. Death does not know the name Ake. When she wakes from the blast, if she hasn't already, she's going to kill him. Forget watching him die slowly and needing him alive and captive for Zerstorung. He'd made a fool out of her.

He's scared of her and he's scared of after. Either he dies or he wins. And that terrifies him. He's disgusting and useless. If he were one of the monster trio, he'd have not gotten into this mess. He'd be strong enough to take her. If he wins, they'll see him, broken and malnourished and embarrassing. What kind of Straw Hat can't win with a couple of scars? What kind of Strawhat has to die to win? Luffy's going to see him as hideous, as big a monstrosity as Ake herself. And there would be no point….he'd be even more useless than he already was. He doesn't want to face Ake, but dammit he doesn't want to face his Nakama either.

Usopp stops dead in his tracks, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. How could he think like this? How could he think like this now? The issue at hand here was defeating Ake. He could worry about Luffy hating him later. He could be useless another time. Whether he won or died, he had to go at either willingly. Whether Ake kills him or he manages to defeat her and risk being seen by the crew, he has to live. He has to protect Frigg...Loki..Kashi...Oimo….all of Elbaf. He has to save them.

"I'll…" he doubles over in a fit, coughing up smoke and lungs. It takes a while to catch a wisp of air that doesn't itch, but when he does, Usopp catches his dangling arm and clutches hard at his side. He stands tall and although it hurts, he screams to the sky. Win or die, he thinks, "I'll be brave!"

It's loud. The disturbed ancient birds flying from the trees say so. Usopp smiles softly.

"Usopp! Are you alright?!"

In the distance, with sunlight marking his waving arm on occasion, is Loki, no doubt warmed that Usopp made it out alive. The others are with him, waving too, pleasant.

Tears fill the young man's eyes and he smiles big and bright. These precious beings….he has to protect them. Their backs are against the wall and Frigg believes in him. They all do. And he will protect them by any means. Even if that means dying. Usopp raises a hand and waves back, opening his mouth to spe-

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!"

The sun seemed to glow brighter on Loki's face and the back of his neck began sweating immediately. Usopp turned back around in confusion, his eyes widening at the horrific sight.

* * *

**With Goddess Ake**

**Destroyed Castle of Prince Loki**

She hisses as she arises from her slumber. A bad dream perhaps. No a nightmare. They were gone. All of them. All of those that could stop Zerstorung.

"Hmmm," a soft hum interrupts Ake's thoughts and the being tenses. Since childhood, she had known that deceitful hum, neither good or bad.

Her burned hands clutch rubble as she sits up slowly, turning to the woman to whom she answers. "Lord Im-sama...mother….I have failed. Once more, God Usopp has found a way to-"

"Nonsense," Im interrupts, a smile on her sinister face. "This is good." Her words sound like a song, each final word drawn and pitched. "Surely, with the sniper destroying the castle, he has drawn attention to this filthy place. Surely Monkey D. Luffy will come searching. This is good."

Ake still looks unsure of herself. "But, mother...you have not seen what he is capable of. Given free thought...God Usopp will destroy us."

Im smiles and crouches down at her daughter's level. "Loki, my dear. This is why I am here this time. He is simply a man. And I need Monkey D. Luffy gone from this world."

"What will you do?"

Im stands at full again, but as she rises, her body grows larger and larger. Her hands catch fire and the fire spreads all over until Im is exactly who she is meant to be; the fire giant meant to set fire to Elbof Kingdom.

She turns to the first and stares down at the small trees and the even smaller dot that is God Usopp.

With a raised hand, the woman screams and slams down on the ground, setting fire to everything she can reach.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!"

* * *

**With Usopp**

He stares as the large woman made of fire in horror as her hand comes down onto land. No doubt, everyone in Elbaf can see this thing and hear her. They can see the fire spreading in the forest of Aderhof.

In the distance, he can see thick gray smoke billowing into the skies. The once pale blue sky is now shielded by a veil of darkness as the smoke swallows up the whole sky. Fierce fire can be seen sneaking its way out from the rows of trees.

The fire burns like a temper, as if the leaping flames have a terrible anger toward the living world. It moves faster than a person can run, though the deer stand a strong chance, moving swiftly as they do. The air smells and tastes like bonfire while the horizon glows orange beneath the smokey wind-dragged plume.

And then the wind catches the fire, pushing it at an enormous speed down the hill toward all of them. Although he's never read it and he has no clue the order of events, Usopp knows in his heart. Zerstorung has started.

Loki stares in horror. He knows too.

Usopp shakes his head. It, he thinks, it's never going to stop coming for them. "Run for the river."

As Loki grabs hold of the blind Kashi, Usopp picks up Frigg in one fell swoop. His arms and legs ache with the extra thirty pounds, something that would have been simple for him had it not been for the wounds and hunger. Despite not being outside for 60 years, Prince Loki still remembers where Grofluss is.

He helps Kashi into the water and Oimo splashes in beside them. Usopp wants to stop with Frigg in his arms. He won't be able to swim with his wounds and not with an exceptional burden. But the fire keeps coming and his back stings.

"Can you swim?" Frigg questions.

Usopp bites his lip. Fuck, it's going to hurt. "I'll manage." He dives in and together the five swim to the other side. The fire stops at the river. But they feel the heat 70 yards away.

Usopp sits Frigg on land first. And uses an arm to pathetically raise himself up. "We have to keep moving. With Zerstorung started, there's no telling what'll happen if we sto- What the hell is that?!"

Up the river, is a giant ship moving toward Warland Village from what he can see. The ship is huge and wide, carrying at least one hundred giants. He freezes. He can remember something about a giant ship. From Jarl.

There were giants on Odin's side. And then there were giants that fought the Gods.

"Naglfar," he mutters. The nail ship, made entirely of the toenails and fingernails of the dead. "I thought it was a myth."

And it's a foolish thing to say, because up until this point, despite loving the history he'd read and the stories Jarl told him, he thought everything about Elbaf was a myth. From the bridge to the end, none of it seemed real to him.

"So it really did begin," Kashi mutters, quiet for the first time. "Usopp what do we do?"

_Please, _he inwardly cries, _please don't count on me. I'm just a coward. Not even one of the top fighters of my own crew. I can't lead you. I can't protect you._

Still, words leave his mouth as if trying to escape. "We have to get to Warland," he declares and the others gasp. "We have to get weapons. We-we have to fight." The sound of silence is deafening to all. But Usopp shakes his head. Clears his thoughts. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

It's a lie. He can't protect all of them. Not even by himself. Not from one hundred bloodthirsty giants who have been waiting for this battle for years. But only Usopp knows that.

* * *

Warland is practically in ruins by the time they make it down the river. The fire that began uphill had made its way down into the villages, waking the giants.

Naglfar had already crashed into the shores of Warland and the giants…..Usopp stares in horror at the fighting around him.

Those that lived in peace were given no warning, no preparation in the early morning dawn. The first homes were crashed into and their inhabitants slaughtered. Giants….male, female, young as 0, old as 400. Giants that possibly had no idea of Zerstorung, killed in their sleep by their own kind.

Those farther from shore and those not killed swiftly were the unlucky ones. Woken by the screams of their neighbors and the smell of burning wood, they had no choice but to fight. They were, after all, warriors.

He hoists Frigg carefully on his back, ducking just in time to dodge a large clump of dirt that a running giant creates. With his cleats of bare feet.

"We have to fight," Loki declares quietly. The innocent are the villagers, but the murderers are his people too. It's a tough call to make as a leader, deciding to partake in a civil war amongst his kind. But it has to be done. "Kashi, can you still use your ears for the vibration of movement?"

_Can you still fight?_

Kashi nods grimly. "I can fight."

"Oimo?" A low grumble sounds from the mute giant. "Usopp, with your call…"

Usopp nods. He won't stay here for long. He's not the fighting kind. His job is to find a way to stop Ake, not her pawns. As long as they swear they won't die, he'd give them every right.

"Just be careful," he manages. Yet, somehow, they get the message. Loki nods at him, and stares as if it's the last he'll ever see him. _Please no,_ Usopp thinks.

"Thank you, Usopp. In the little time I've known you, you have been my friend. That is a tremendous thing."

The youngest nods, and his stomach twists into all sorts of knots. Loki is just saying goodbye. It's a normal thing when going into a battle one has hardly prepared for. Should he die, Usopp should know how dear he had been to the giant. "You too, Prince Loki."

Kashi kneels down as Oimo bows. "Usopp. Twice, you saved our lives and gave us something to fight for. And I hope, should you defeat Ake, you can do so many times more."

"I will," he manages to choke out. The fighting continues.

Oimo nods too. "MmmHmm Mmmm." He knows he'll probably die. And Usopp's eyes fill up. Because being a Straw Hat Pirate, there was nothing worse than the lump in one's throat when they heard something they didn't want to hear; and yet they had to pretend everything was fine.

"Not goodbye. I'll see you soon, okay?" He manages to choke out. Oimo nods and he nods back. One last time, Usopp's eyes roam over his friends. He hoists Frigg on his back higher. And turns away from them. And Usopp runs for the edge of town, not looking back as he dodges the battle.

He doesn't know where to go from here. If he should just keep running or if he should find his crew. Together, there's a better chance at defeating Ake. But he's so ashamed of himself. For letting all of this happen; being captured, tortured, letting Zerstorung start. They'd laugh at him, the weakest. They'd be disappointed like they always were. Like he always was.

And then he wouldn't even know where to begin if he did find them. Would they believe that Frigg created devil fruits? That she could mimic Luffy's moves, and Blackbeard's? Would they believe that Loki was still alive and Ake had been playing with his mind? And how would they even go about destroying someone with the God-God Fruit? Was such a fruit, that could coexist with the same kind, real? If Usopp did anything wrong, he'd be their downfall. By getting them killed, he'd do worse than Ake could ever. He'd hurt them. And Strawhats don't hurt their Nakama.

"Stop," Frigg whispers softly on his back. And immediately, Usopp halts in his running. He wasn't sure if she was talking about his running or his thinking, but the thoughts stop too. They've become a nasty thing anyway, making him believe this isn't all some messed up dream. Making him brave. Although soft, her voice is the luring of a nightmare dressed like a daydream. It soothes and commands and Usopp assumes it's the fruit talking.

They're still in Warland, but a little further away from the fighting. Which still isn't good. If they looked back now, who knew what they could witness? Who knew if the others had already died?

"Frigg, we have to keep moving. We have to find a way to stop her."

"Fight." The woman simply replies.

"I can't put you down, Frigg. You'd be out in the open. Ake could find you. And I'm wounded. I can't fight with the others." _I don't know how. I'm not strong enough._

"Fight." She urges again.

"There's a smarter way to stop her-"

"Fight."

"I'm a sniper," he repeats softly in Luffy's tone. "Far more superior-"

"Fight."

"Frigg," Usopp argues gently. This time, she doesn't interrupt. "I'm going to die aren't I?"

"_Fight." _In the end, Usopp manages to hide Frigg in the shallow circle of some brushes. He manages to return to those who are meant to die with him. He manages to fight. With the little ammunition he has and the small dagger from Ake's cellar, Usopp's going to fight the giants.

Loki and the others are nowhere to be found when he returns to the battlefield. And all he can see is red. Blood everywhere. The giants are big. They're blood runs up to his knees and soaks his pores, making him waddle through the thick substance.

"For Elbof!"

The pirate cowers low to the ground as a warrior rushes past him, splashing blood everywhere. Usopp spits and gags when some goes into his mouth. "Okay," he whispers. "Okay. You can fight them. You just have to find a good shooting distance. Watch out for Ake too. She could be anywhere."

He ducks again when a giant falls beside him, her heavy face sinking into the blood bath. Usopp looks closely at her face and halts in his movement. She's….human. She has pores and a crooked nose and large green eyes that shine like a rainforest. She's a giant, a warrior, everything Usopp has always wanted to be, but she was still just….human. Before Usopp has the chance to fully cower beneath his own convictions, a low rumble runs up the back of his spine to the soft curly hairs on the nape of his neck.

The sniper inhales slowly and bites his lip. He wants to cry. He can't do this. He can't take the blood and the death and the jump scares, but Frigg's soft face is the only thing that keeps appearing when he feels most afraid. And he has no choice but to turn and…._fight._

Behind him is no giant ready to fulfill Ake's wishes. But there is something to do the job. It's not normal. It's not a mink, nor could it be some kind of devil fruit user.

Usopp legs begin to shake on their own accord as he realizes little by little what the drooling creature is. It's ancient, having the fur of an old brown dulled and scarred through the years. And it stares with the most beautiful grey eyes ever, albeit menacing, albeit devilish. It's what the books call a werewolf. And this thing snarling in his direction _is_ one, no natural wolf was so large. It's teeth gnashes together in a frenzy of hunger and the stuff stained against. The remnants are clearly human.

The young man backs away half a step. "U-um nice wolf. Nice dog."

It growls instead and, with no thought or moment to pass, lashes at Usopp like a troubled child. Usopp yelps and because he isn't quick he enough to run, he cowers low to the ground. The world's darkened. There's no more blood or bodies or daylight. Just darkness.

He's dead.

* * *

He'd come to realize, first with glory and than with sadness, that he wasn't dead. Close to; on the very brink, but not dead. Turns out, being eaten alive and whole was very much real and very much made one feel this way.

He knows that dying is like dreaming. It's seeing your life flash before your eyes and being aware of what's happening around you. It makes you feel dizzy and pain and everything nothing could be. But being dead doesn't make you feel sticky. It doesn't make you smell year old rotten shit. It's not seeing body parts laying around you in red water. It doesn't make you feel alive.

"Aww, shit," he mutters. It comes out as if he's disgusted, but he's more afraid then anything. How did he manage to get eaten alive by the wolf and how can he get out?

Briefly, Usopp wonders if he wants out. Should he stay and hide out in here until death really does succumb him? Or wait until Ake loses interest? Whichever comes first?

Briefly wonders. Because the thought is soon taken over by the fact that Frigg wanted him to fight. That everyone is counting on him. That he has to see his crew.

A low grumble emits from above and the man tenses. The werewolf is moving about now. He can't tell which direction and how fast, but the sudden jolt makes him want out faster.

It's belly is large; big enough for Usopp to swim around in beside the body parts.

"Shit, shit." He hisses when a small arm knocks against his. Briefly, he wonders who had been on Elbaf before. These aren't remnants of giants, no, they're remnants of humans. What had they been doing here and how did they manage to get eaten by this creature.

"Usopp."

"Usopp."

_No. It isn't real. Nothing in this belly is alive but you._ Usopp shudders. It's the voice in his head. It has to be. It's not really in front of him.

"Usopp." The man blinks at the head calling his name. It's not real. He's seen shit and anything from here on out is a manifestation of all his fears and the crazy shit that goes on in his brain. "Don't just stare at me Usopp. Don't cut the rope. Use the spit of the serpent. Take your life. For that is urgent."

Usopp blinks. The head keeps going. "Be braver then we. Don't cut the rope. Use the spit of the serpent. Take your life on that tree. For that is urgent."

Usopp backs away as the head gets more aggressive in his rhymes. "No matter the struggle, don't cut that rope. It will kill you yes, but it's the only hope."

"Stop." The man murmurs. He's going crazy. He's crazy. Voices in your head, visions, and two months of raw torture can do that.

"The snake is your friend, albeit evil. It will cause earthquakes, but save the people."

"Stop." The eyes close on the head and that's the end of it. It sinks into the belly and Usopp stares at where it was long after before finally losing his cool. He splashes in the stomach acid, knocking against the walls of muscle for a good while. "I gotta get out of here." He murmurs. Once more, he knocks against the wall with force. Outside, the werewolf growls loudly and his entire body vibrates, making Usopp fall in his ass.

"Oof." The man scrambles up slowly, searching in the acid for what could have fell with the fall. Nothing except the dagger. He tenses. _The dagger._ Maybe he could use it to cut his way out. It would certainly put the werewolf in a lot of pain, something he wasn't looking forward to.

Still, it ate him alive. Ate all these people alive. People who probably tried to stop Ake too. People who failed. But still, it was simply an animal. Did he know much about what was happening, or was he simply out for a hunt? What if he was leading Usopp back to Ake.

_Do it, Usopp. You're only chance of survival now playing by her rules._

The man jumps. His eyes search around frantically for the familiar voice, but in the pool of acid and blood, nothing can be found. He doesn't know what to do. Whether he should use the dagger or die here.

_Use it. You have to get to the edge of that tree, Usopp. You have to die._

A full tremor goes through his body. He has to….di-di-die? No. "Who are you? Is it you Ake?" He splashes in the blood, frantically searching for the head that just spoke to him. "Is it you? Where are you?"

_The longer you wait, the further this creature takes you from your goals._

He doesn't know who to trust anymore. The voices keep speaking to him. Telling him things that aren't true. Luring him out.

_Trust me, Usopp. I'm the only voice you can trust. Remember, Usopp. It's you and I. Ever since Enies Lobby, it's always been you and I._

Usopp blinks slowly. "Sniper King?" He whispers. A faint whisper is returned, a reassurance that it is indeed one of the heroes that saved Nico Robin two years prior. And Usopp sighs in utter relief. Of course it would be Sniper King. When his back was against the wall, surely the hero came out. The only voice of reason. "Sniper King, I-I don't know what I'm doing. I'm scared."

_Not scared, my dear friend. Just lost._

"What do I do?" He pleads, clutching the dagger in his hand. Soon enough, the handle will turn to dust in his hands.

_Well, Usopp. What do you do?_

The Strawhat sneers softly. There's no time for Sniper King to speak in riddles, no time for endless clues when Elbaf needs saving. But he knows, deep within, it isn't Sniper King speaking in riddles and giving clues.

Because Sniper King isn't real. The mask isn't real. It's never been. It's always been Usopp, deluding himself and becoming brave when he had no choice. Becoming a mask when his back was finally pressed against the wall. He was the voice of reason. Now, he was the only voice he could trust.

_Goodbye, Usopp._

The sniper falls to his knees, murmuring to himself quietly. "What do I do? What do I do? Wha-" he gasps softly. The answer is clear to him now. It's always been clear to him. Frigg was right. He was right.

He could defeat her. He could stop this. Stop Ake.

"Fight," he hisses. Simultaneously, outside, the wolf stops moving, jostling him around as he runs. With a single strained arm and another dislocated shoulder, Usopp struggles to raise the dagger above his head. When it comes back down in speed, outside the wolf growls and begins shaking again. Usopp doesn't stop. Being tossed around, he continues stabbing and slicing the skin and muttering.

"Fight...fight. I have to get to that tree."

Suddenly, as the man is slashing through, he sees a drop of light through a tear of skin. It's small, but it's hope. He lifts the dagger one final time, and slams it in the tear. With a heavy grip on the handle, Usopp pulls the weapon across skin. The werewolf groans in pain as the man, along with the body parts and blood, fall out of him. Usopp hits the cold ground harder than expected. He punches it in victory, however. And with the little spark he has in him, screams to the top of his lungs. "Fight!"

It echoes across the sky.

* * *

**With Mountain Beard Jarl**

**And the Strawhat Pirates**

Ahead of the crew, it's Roronoa Zoro that hesitates when the ground shakes.

"Fight!" _Fight! Fight! Fight!_ The crew stops after him, too engrossed in the trees shaking and the birds squawking in horror to notice how tense the swordsman becomes.

The cry, unmistakably Usopp, was strained and brave, holding the entire world and two months of hell inside it. He was somewhere beyond Warland village, he was hurt, but he was alive. Somewhere, he was fighting. Or convincing himself to.

Zoro glares down into the running water of Grofluss, now inked red and thick, and stares at his murky expression.

Usopp had been gone for two entire months, braving whatever hell and truths he could about this kingdom. All alone or with others, he wasn't sure. But he wonders briefly, how he'd managed to stay alive. Had he been tortured, and if so was it worse than Blackbeard. The sudden memory of watching Teach's dark cloud roam over Usopp's head and through his heart and lungs makes the man grip his swords. His knuckles turn pale and his jaw clenched into a toothache.

"Zoro. It's okay." Someone touches his arm and he looks down to see Chopper staring up at him. The rest of the crew is ahead, but waiting patiently, shuffling on their toes. "I'm sure he's with someone and he's convincing them to be brave."

"He's not." Zoro remarks and now no one is shuffling anymore. They're all staring at him, besides Luffy who is standing on Jarl's shoulder staring hard at nothing. Chopper removes contact in fear as if he's been burned.

"He's not what?"

"He's not okay. He's not with anyone. And he didn't want to be brave. At least, not until now."

It's a harsh thing to say, but the swordsman is done lying to everyone and himself. They had made themselves believe that Usopp was okay for two months, but Zoro knew. He knew just like Luffy did. He knows that should be the end of it, but he can't stop there. They should know this incase Usopp doesn't make it back.

"He's got a dislocated shoulder." Ahead, Brook gasps. "Did that himself trying to help someone. Stabbed in that same shoulder. And the left rib and left foot. His back is infected. Like his stab wounds."

Sanji turns around in anger when he sees Nami cover her face. "Stop talking, grass stain!"

"Cuts that have been open for months are green now. His hands are freezing and blistered. And he's gone mad. Crazy. He doesn't know what's real anymore."

Sanji growls and marches over to him. "How the hell do you know this stuff?! If you're making it up, I'll-"

"I saw it," Zoro interrupts, looking Sanji dead in the eye now. And the amount of water being held in those dark eyes makes Sanji halt. "When we were split up, I got pulled down by something in the mud. The more I struggled, the more it got me. And I could see Usopp begging 'let him go. Please let him go.' And I saw him. And I could feel it. Everything. The stabs, the burning, the infection. Just like Luffy, I could feel it."

The swordsman turns away harshly. "You don't understand. Usopp is my… he's my sword. Hana Arashi."

The Strawhat crew is fearfully quiet. "Right now, he's freezing. He's somewhere in snow. Alone." Zoro holds his stomach. "And the worst thing is the hunger." That word makes Sanji freeze up bad with a shudder. "He's so hungry that his eyes are sunken in and his jaw is slacked. His ribs are showing and he looks skinnier than he did back in Syrup. All he's had for two months is dirty water. And all he can feel is weakness. It's killing him. More than anything on him, the hunger is killing him-"

"You son of a bitch!" Sanji tackles Zoro into the bloody water and straddles him. It's an attack, but halfhearted as tears leak from the cook's eyes for his best friend. "I told you! I told you to worry about Usopp! I fucking told you he was in danger! But all you cared about was Luffy! All you cared about was him being happy and-" Sanji grits his teeth and clenches when another distant cry bellows out across the wind. It's Usopp again.

"Fight!"

All the Strawhat Pirates look in the distance and after such a cry another comes, this time different, this time closer, this time in Warland.

"Fight! For Elbof! For Usopp!"

* * *

**I know I know. Stone me. Sorry I've been so busy lately, guys. :(**


	4. And To Those I'll Never Forget

**And To Those I'll Never Forget**

The first thing he notices when he's free is that its fucking freezing. His teeth are already chattering against one another and the drops of blood on his skin are turning to red ice. He looks around to the fallen wolf and notices the coat of fur. Maniacally, he smiles. But it feels soft and warm against his stomach. Harshly, as well as he can with one arm and frostbitten fingers, Usopp starts to skin the dead creature, mindset on being warm in the snow.

It takes time and grit, but eventually, the sniper skins the werewolf as best he can. Carefully, the fur is draped over his shoulders. It's all he can physically hold on to ensure that, yes he is alive. Yes, this nightmare is real. Before basking in the warmth, Usopp first shudders at the nasty smell. It's death alright. When he looks down, he stares absentmindedly at the snow between his toes, the bloated stabbed foot and the normal one and shudders at that as well. Luckily the wound closed days prior, yet soon, they'll both be frostbitten if he doesn't get out of the snow.

"Where am I?" He mutters to himself. It hurts to speak properly. Not only due to his constant screeching, but his hunger. Idly, the sniper puts his fingertips to his stomach. He remembers growing so much on the Boin islands. Gaining muscle and fat. But all that's gone now. When his fingertips touch his stomach, he can feel hard bone. When he looks down, he can see it too. His stomach physically hurts. It hurts to breathe and to talk and to touch it. He hasn't eaten since he got here. Water fills his eyes. "I'm going to die, aren't I?" He whispers to no one in particular.

No one answers.

He is. He's going to die here on this island. And if he doesn't die here, he'll die later. This kingdom and everything that's been happening isn't for a single moment. Every little thing takes a toll on him and every little thing is feeding off of him. And continually, it does. It'll continue feeding off of him when he leaves this place until he's nothing more than the corpse he already is.

_Fight._

Usopp coughs haphazardly. God, it hurts. Still, he nods at Frigg's voice. He has to fight. He has to protect them. Get back to them. Carefully, the sniper observes the icy area and halts when he sees the tracks of the wolf. All he has to do is go back the way it came and he'll be back in Warland ready to fight.

When Usopp starts forward, he stops again. He's missing something. Something so big and important but he can't fathom what it was. _Is._ It has something to do with Ake. Ake and the wolf and….

* * *

**Elbof Kingdom**

**400 years Prior**

**Aschebaum **

"_You must understand, Freyr. It is the only way."_

_The large giant that Usopp - or whoever he is - is speaking softly to stares downward with heavy grief in his eyes. "And what if it isn't, Montblanc? What if by hanging oneself on this tree, you may never come back? What of the people? What of the kingdom?"_

_Usopp stomach rumbles like thunder as he laughs loudly, jovially despite the heavy atmosphere. "My dear friend, the kingdom has worked so well before even I sailed upon it. I'm sure it will last a great many years without me."_

"_You don't know that," Freyr answers._

_For a single moment, Freyr's hair turns pale and he begins to look old in the face. To Odin Montblanc, he's just like that old man in the future. The worrisome fool, the one for his people. The prince. He shakes his head softly. "My, he'll be just like you. Little Utgard."_

_Freyr's eyebrows raise in pure confusion. "Utgard? A prince?"_

_Odin swallows. His wife's ability to see the future is wearing him down, making it hard for him to distinguish what is here and now, rather than what will be. He shakes the thoughts away. Still, Freyr stares in uncertainty._

_Before Odin can reassure him that everything is fine, someone runs up the hill. He's yelling, holding a large horn in his hand. "Freyr. Naglfar. The nail ship of the dead. It's coming our way."_

"_Sound the horn. Warn the others, Heimdallr. Quickly!"_

_Heimdallr raises the horn to his mouth and blows on it hard. It's like a beautiful song, except it means fight. He blows it twice more before lowering the horn and staring down at Odin. And the rope in the human's hands. "Odin, you are going through with this?"_

_He's a heavy giant, taller than even Freyr. His beard is humongous. Shaped like a mountain in Odin's eyes. He hums in thought. Heimdallr looks so much like that small boy. Or what the small boy will look like. Jarl was his name. Suddenly, Odin doesn't even feel like himself. He feels hungry and cold. Wounded and dead. He feels like a child that learned too much about the world much too early. He feels like a child so brave, he resembles a coward. He feels like a liar. Carefully, he touches his stomach. "Usopp." He murmurs to himself, like he knows that name._

_When he looks up at his companions, they're already looking down, their eyes full of concern for the Montblanc going crazy. "Odin, the rope."_

_Odin or Usopp. Odin's Usopp looks down at his hand. Now vacated. No rope in his grasp. He feels something tighten around his throat and his hands come up slowly. Oh no, he thinks._

* * *

**With Usopp**

Usopp gasps from the memory as every emotion ever thought hits him heavily. Odin saw something...no _he_ saw something. Odin sacrificing himself on the tree to help Elbaf. But it was almost as if something forced it upon the leader. Almost as if something put the rope around his throat. Usopp can feel the air popping his ears and the darkness grabbing his eyes. He can feel pain inside his stomach as if it's knotted. He can feel everything and it all feels like nothing. When he tries to fall back in the snow, he can't. When he tries to breathe, he only gasps again.

He blinks rapidly. His eyes feel like they're bulging out of his head, how bad they're burning. And it doesn't help, the blinking. Because each time, his vision gets spotty. The world around him, the dark smoky sky, is going away.

The sky.

The sky.

He's looking at the sky and nothing else can be seen. How the hell is he looking at the sky? How the hell can nothing else be seen?

Something tightens around his throat. Usopp stops struggling against himself and looks down. Elbof, the kingdom. Everything is below him and his feet hang down and sway in the air as if he's….

He gasps again, but it's getting harder to breathe. Carefully, like Odin, his hands go up to his neck. The rough material around it is no doubt rope. _Oh no, he thinks._

"No," he croaks. Or tries to. It feels like he's breathing through a straw and no matter the struggle, Usopp can't break free. He reaches upward to grab hold of the part on the rope that is latched onto one of Aschebaum's stronger branches. Carefully, he tries to hoist himself upward which doesn't help. He's too skinny now, too limp, too hungry to be strong.

"No," he says again. He's trying to tell whoever brought him here that he isn't ready. He wanted to do this himself, not be forced to. But deep down, as he struggles against the force of Elbaf, he knows he would have never had the courage. He wonders briefly if Odin, despite putting on a brave face and reassuring his friends, would never have done it alone either. He wonders if Odin was scared.

He wonders if this is real or if he's still inside Odin's memory, seeing now and future in his ancestor's eyes.

He knows soon, he's going to die if it is real. He can hardly breathe anymore and the little intakes of air he's taking feel like they've been poisoned. Elbaf doesn't want him to keep breathing. It's in trouble and needs him to read that stone. The Runic stone.

_No matter the struggle, don't cut that rope. It will kill you yes, but it's the only hope._

Usopp grits his teeth. "Will…." he struggles. "It. Hurt?"

No one answers in the time he uses to take a final breath and let the rope go. He drops hard and he feels something snap in his neck, but it doesn't hurt.

The pain that once burned like a fire had faded away to an icy numbness. Black filled the edges of his vision and the only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat. His breath came in ragged, shallow gasps.

Usopp swayed in the wind for what felt like years, possibly millenniums. Realization dawned on him, he was going to die. He tried to move his chest, tried to suck in air, but none came. His heart stopped. That he could feel. His heavy mind, often plagued with thoughts, gave one final sigh. Then he felt nothing. Nothing at all. Darkness.

* * *

He wakes like he's hooked up. No sleepiness, no slow warming up. Within seconds of realizing he was unconscious, Usopp is on his feet, eyes wide, dreams not just forgotten but erased. He drinks in the feedback of all his senses. Aside from his own noisy breathing, there is nothing to be heard and the area he stands in is simply too dark to see much at all.

"Usopp?"

The sniper jumps and turns around abruptly, ready to fight despite not being able to anymore. When he does see who called him, the man sighs and drops to his knees. He feels a heavy weight being lifted from his shoulders. Half of the burden - the one he holds to save Elbaf - goes to the shoulders of Frigg. And there they sit, two small frail people. Dark skin, curly hair, ancestor and descendant.

Usopp finally realizes that when he….when he died and lived again, he ended up where he began. The burrow of brushes he hid Frigg in when he was told to fight. He just can't recognize it because it's quiet now, night time. The only light they have is the stuff within them.

"Where are the others?"

"Fighting."

_Still, _he wants to ask. But he knows that it isn't fair. She didn't say they were dead; for that he should be grateful.

Frigg's coughing knocks the Strawhat out of his stupor and he stares at the weakened frame in the dark. She looks worse than she did in the castle, almost as if the outside air is a plague to her.

"Frigg, I died." He says it fast as if that should be the end of it. As if that should be said and left.

Frigg hums. "Did not die. You fought. Something you couldn't do last time."

"Last time?" He mumbles. They've been saying odd things like that since he was captured by Ake. As if he's met them before and as if this happened before.

"It has."

"It has?"

"It has," she says again. "Twice now. Ake keeps restarting time and taking memories so no one remember."

"But you remembered. So did Loki. Why couldn't I remember?"

"Because we were captured both times since then. No use of taking someone's memory if they can't convince the world to believe it."

"So where was I? The first two times?"

"Learning how to fight. Dying. Sometimes both at the same time."

Usopp stares in wonder. "Learning how to fight? Her?" A hum from Frigg makes him chuckle sadly. "Must not have done a very good job of it. To be doing it again."

"No, you did good. So good that she killed you twice until finally realizing that she should just let you live this time. She thought it would work. But you kept coming back somewhere. People with the God-God fruit always do."

The statement that changes everything goes completely over his head. He's more worried about her killing him again. What's different this time around? What makes Frigg think that the cycle continues?

"What's so different now? What's to stop her from killing me and doing it again?"

"Because this time you used your Haki instead of being a coward. This time you finally had the courage to kill yourself on that tree. This time we escaped. This time, I can finally sleep."

Usopp blinks at his great aunt. "Sleep?" He mutters. It doesn't sound like sleep at all. It almost sounds like she means…. Usopp crawls toward Frigg as fast as he can. "Hey what are you saying? What do you mean sleep?"

"It's been 600 years," she whispers.

Usopp shakes his head and rubs at his eyes harshly. "Frigg, don't do this. You can't die. You can't sleep now. We still have to find the others. We still gotta stop Zerstorung."

Carefully, the old woman reaches up and places a frail hand on Usopp's cheek. "Give me a moment to shed the sleep from my brain, to allow the visions of the night to give way to the day, to move from that which I create on a whim to things more fixed and real. In a few minutes, I will be able to greet the sunlight, to see the colors as bright as the fire in this kingdom; I will adjust. For now, let it come with the subtleness of a gentle dawn and let me doze underwing. I'll be there soon, I'll wake up, you'll see."

Usopp shakes his head. "You won't. That's just what your body's telling you. Frigg, don't be a liar like me. You said…" he grits his teeth as tears start spilling out of his eyes excessively. "You said those with the god-god fruit can't die."

"And they can't."

"But you-"

Suddenly, Usopp halts as his heart constricts and begins to beat loud. So loud that he can hear it. In the distance, he can hear the sounds of swords clashing and people shouting, but he knows that the fighting isn't anywhere near them. Now, he can feel bugs crawling against his knees on the forest floor; so small they are, but so real. He can see Frigg, small and frail as she lay dying, so clearly; almost as if the sun was on her. Carefully, Usopp reaches his hands up to stare at them. They're cracked and dirty and bloody, which tells him he's alive yes, but he can see parts of his fingers turning to dust, floating upward, and reconnecting with him.

The God-God fruit.

"No." He looks at Frigg. "No. I can't have this. I can't take this from you. You need it."

She nods. "You do," she agrees.

"Frigg." He mutters. And then he says it again. But it doesn't mean a thing. Her breathing gets shallow and she blinks slower, so it doesn't matter. He watches her die. And despite how calm he is through it, it's one of the most traumatic experiences he's been through. If Usopp makes it out of this alive, this moment is going to always kill him.

The burden - to save Elbaf Kingdom - is all back on his shoulders and it's heavier now.

_Fight._ He looks up and around. Frigg is still stiff. Her eyes are closed and she looks like she's dreaming. But he can hear her. She's in his head still telling him to keep moving forward.

_Fight._

Usopp stands as best he can. He listens carefully to the sound of swords in the far distance and starts off in a jog toward it. He's angry. He wants to kill something. He wants to hurt Ake in the worst way possible and make her beg for mercy. As he runs forward, Usopp becomes faster and faster, unaware of the pits of fire his small feet create on the surface.

As he gets closer to the fighting, he can see the fire giant still in the air, screaming and edging the fighting on. He growls and raises a hand as if he were holding a sword. With a swift swing, the sniper stops running and stares at the beast. It takes a moment, but it stops screaming. It halts, shudders, constricts. Surtr, the fire giant stops the fighting as her body hardens into molten rock. Everyone stares in quiet disbelief. And quietly, the head of Surtr rolls off its torso, cleanly as if cut by a knife.

No one does a thing. But Usopp's still staring in pure hatred at the statue, waiting because he knows her. She'll show up, the coward. And there, as if on cue, someone arises from the behind the giant. She looks afraid, her eyes widened in absolute disbelief. But she's staring at him and only him. Usopp clenches his fist and he feels it light on fire. It doesn't burn him but he can feel the flames dancing on his hand.

He jumps in the air and soars toward her. "Ake!"

Maybe it's the initial shock of seeing someone else with her sister's fruit. Maybe it's the shock of seeing Usopp alive again. Or just seeing him not dying. But Ake stays frozen in her spot, hovering in the air. The world is still silent as Usopp flies toward his enemy and it almost feels like forever, but when he does reach her, the anger hasn't died. He has the absolute will to kill her as he brings his inflamed fist backward.

When his veiny limb connects with Ake's charred face, even Usopp is surprised by how hard he hit. His knuckles crack on impact and his forearm goes numb for a moment as his dislocated shoulder tingles in sensation. He could see Ake's face cave in and the scars from the darkness-darkness fruit reveal themselves. After the initial punch, the God falls backward into the now statued Surtr.

It explodes.

Blasts of dust and rock bite Usopp intermittently through his wounds while the wind continues its tirade.

No one says or screams a thing. No one raises a sword or hammer. No one throws a punch. They all stare at the dust cloud as does Usopp wondering what could be of the God who started this war.

Usopp squints into the distance when the dust finally begins to clear. He's still angry no doubt. Angry that it had to be Frigg. Angry that the last years of her life had been in captivity. So if Ake is dead now, he's going to fucking kill her. "There she is," he mutters.

The blow had clearly caught her rather low and off guard, so much that she floated in the air almost winded and could not breathe. She remained rigid, paralyzed as a winded woman is. Usopp knows her though. She won't let it be seen for long. With all her will, she prevented herself from gasping. Only through her parted lips, she drew tiny gasps, controlled, nothing revealed to Usopp, who can see clearly as she starts toward him. She hated him far too much.

When she comes close, he tries to move as fast as he can in the air. But he's human. The fruit is still new to him and he's not an expert with it yet. He doesn't know it's limits or powers.

Ake laughs when she throws him to the ground. "You fool! The God-God fruit has no limits."

As Usopp is falling to the ground, he realizes that the giants have begun fighting again. Ake is still alive and so is he. And there is no use in not fighting. He can hear them chanting though.

"Fight! For Elbof! For Usopp!"

The sniper hits the ground hard but bounces up quickly. When he looks back up, he can see Ake turning and fleeing from the battlefield. She's a coward, even worse than he. Just as the man jumps back upward after her, Loki's distressed cry cuts him off. "Kashi!"

A tremor goes through his neck as it snaps backward. It's the last thing he wants to hear. The distressed cry of his friend's name. Even more important than defeating Ake, his job is to protect them. And he couldn't ... he couldn't even protect Frigg. So he has to protect them. His life would be over if not. What would be the point of learning about these wonderful beasts of giants only to lose them?

* * *

**With Ake and Im-sama**

The woman flees from the battle, holding her torn face gingerly. She needs time to recuperate and think. The child now has the God-God fruit which means- Ake halts in her fleeing and something forms in the pit of her stomach. That means Frigg is dead. Forever now. Her older sister whom she had to go against to please their mother. Frigg is gone forever. The woman reaches up to her torn face only to find it wet. It feels like a valley of creeks and rivers now.

* * *

"_Go play with your sister, Frigg." The baby doesn't know who the big woman is, but she says that a lot. Multiple times a day to the small young brown girl with curly hair. She looks a lot like the woman. "I have much to discuss with the King of giants."_

_In response, the small young girl throws her arms up in exasperation and groans. She does that a lot, the baby notices. "But ma, all Loke does is cry. She's a crybaby sister." She says that more than a lot._

_The tall woman- or ma - raises a finger. "But what does she do when with her big sister?"_

_Frigg crosses her arms as if she's already lost the argument. "Stop crying." She grumbles out._

"_Which must mean?"_

"_I make her happy. She loves me. Blah blah. Still ma-"_

"_And when we love something, we take care of it. Especially if it loves you back. No matter how much it fusses, you keep it." Frigg looks at the baby and the baby stares back, now happy that she has the girl's attention. "See?"_

"_Fine. But only because I have to protect her since you'll be gone, ma. I have my man-eating plants."_

_The woman laughs heartily - The baby likes that sound the most - and rubs Frigg's mess of curls. "Thank you, my little warrior."_

_When ma is gone, Frigg comes over to sit before the baby and they stare at each other for a long time. The baby burps. Frigg smiles. "Well at least you ain't crying anymore. Here. You can play with one of my power fruits."_

* * *

Ake wipes at her eyes harshly. That time is long gone and over. Frigg hasn't been her sister for a very long time. Not since Montblanc.

"What are you doing?"

Ake jumps and spins around to see Im standing before her. "Mother, God Usopp has Frigg's fruit."

"And so you fled?"

"No. I simply need time to-"

"Time for what?" Im growls. Her words sting worse then venom and Ake grabs hold of her torn face to hide it from her mother's wrath. "To cower because you saw the serpent. You fool. God Usopp doesn't understand the fruit as you do. And he hasn't hanged himself on the tree yet. He doesn't know your weakness. If Frigg weren't such a fool to go against her mother's world order, she'd have gotten the job done several times before you made it to this point." Silence. "Get time to replenish. I will weaken the God by killing his friends. You shall kill him and Jarl."

"Yes, mother."

* * *

**With Usopp**

What he sees in the distance is Kashi on the ground struggling with a snake, three times the size of Usopp. It's not big enough to take him down, but it's big enough to slow him down. The snake slithers and hisses as it dodges Kashi's hands and finally reaches the torso. It's deceiving look becomes more sinister as it wraps around Kashi's neck and tightens quickly.

"Kashi!"

Somewhere, Usopp knows the prince can't really see Kashi. But the young sniper supposes the friends can feel the other's energy and pain. It's much like Luffy, Zoro, and he. After Blackbeard, something odd happened. Now the sniper, swordsman, and captain can feel each other's pain, happiness, and sometimes thoughts.

Usopp stumbles over himself as he runs toward Kashi and the snake. He lost the dagger with Frigg and he's not big enough to overpower the snake. He gets closer with each stride. The sniper punches his head. "Come on, come on. Think Usopp. Think about how you can kill the snake."

The sniper stops running and stares as Kashi loses breath one second at a time. He'd have to be bigger than Jarl to… "That's it."

Usopp thinks single thoughts each time he blinks. Asking questions and telling lies that come true. Because he knows his feet are two-thirds of the Thousand Sunny. And he knows he's tall enough to pluck a bird from the sky. He's well aware that he has hands so plump, the Usopp from Boin Archipelago would be envious. But is he strong enough to grip the snake? When Usopp looks down, the ground is far beneath him and hard to see. When he looks back up, he has to take but a single stride to reach the snake and Kashi.

The sniper grabs the snake. Struggles with it for a long moment in time, but he does eventually free Kashi from its grasp. And when he throws the large thing, it hisses at him. "You'll need me, God. You should be wise not to kill me."

"For hurting my friend, I'm a fool for considering it," Usopp hisses back.

Before the snake says more, prince Loki falls to his knees in the distance. The large giant weeps loudly and drastically, holding onto his face. "Oh, Kashi."

Usopp looks on the ground toward the now freed Kashi, but gasps at the sight. Although, Kashi is still clutching his neck and catching air from his near-death experience, his face is turning a sick blue. And the veins….the veins in his neck are so clear now.

The snake hisses and backs away when the sniper looks back up. "You cannot fight death, God Usopp. You of all others should know that personally." The serpent vanishes into the smoky air. And although Usopp is lost, confused, and eager to kill it, the poisoned Kashi is the first priority now.

The man shrinks back to his normal height as he kneels down to comfort Kashi. In this battlefield, there is nothing more he can do to fight poison. He can't think hard enough to fight this. And the only thing he can do for Kashi now is be his peace.

In the distance, he can still hear Loki, trying to whimper quietly in this battlefield. "Oh, Kashi."

When Usopp is his regular size, he does his best to crawl upon the cold cheek of his friend. He plops there, rubbing the flesh with his heated hands. Kashi is breathing rapidly now, possibly unsure of what's happening in his body.

The Montblanc looks up at the dark smokey sky and wonders briefly if this should be the last thing Kashi sees. Raising an arm to the air, he imagines Kashi can see the clouds of white and skies of blue. He imagines Kashi can see a battle won and peace.

"Usopp. I can see you, my dear friend." When Usopp looks from the dark sky, Kashi's eyes are blue from his memories. The giant is staring back at him with glazed eyes that look like love. "My you've grown."

_Huh,_ Usopp thinks, _so I'm what peace looks like._

Black veins begin crawling around the warrior's eyes, a display that the poison is spreading. But the victim makes no sudden movements like he's in pain. Instead, he smiles because he seems content. He sees the sky as blue although everyone else can see the fire and darkness. "We won," he mutters. "I knew we would. And all because of my friend. My very dear friend."

If he were to finish, he never does. But when Usopp thinks about this months later, he's going to believe this is all Kashi ever wanted to say and see.

"Oh, Kashi." He whispers or tries to. But his voice cracks into small pieces and his heart shatters like glass.

The world is cruel. And it hurts. And he couldn't save them. Usopp's back clenches and his face scrunches up as his nails dig into Kashi's dead face like dirt. He couldn't save them.

* * *

_Usopp smiles up at the big giant crouched below his chains. "But Tyr was your favorite god?"_

_Kashi looks past him when he looks down. "Oh yes. My mater would tell me tales of Tyr all the time. And papa would reenact how brave and strong he was."_

_Usopp himself can remember stories and he is saddened by the fact that it was he in Boin Archipelago telling those stories. And he reenacting them for himself._

_He is even more saddened when Kashi's broken eyes become even more distant. "Of course, I can't remember them now. Only small parts. Like pieces of a pendant you find lying in your home."_

"_I know a story about Tyr." Usopp remarks._

"_You do?"_

_The God settles down, resting on the back of his legs. "Of course. Of course. Well, as you know, Tyr was the god of law and justice. But many people do not know Tyr is also recognized as the god with only one hand. It began with the binding of Fenrir. The gods wanted to bind the great wolf Fenrir. This monstrous wolf was one of the three offspring of Loki, and the gods had been keeping him in Aderhof since he was a puppy in order to keep an eye on him. As Fenrir continued to grow, the gods began to worry that they would not be able to keep him in their home and, fearing that he would wreak havoc if he left Aderhof, they planned to have the creature bound up._

_The gods, therefore, began to bind Fenrir with various ropes and chains. In order to obtain Fenrir's consent to being tied up, the gods told the wolf that these bindings were meant to test his strength. Each time Fenrir broke free, the gods cheered and clapped, though in their hearts, they were growing increasingly worried. Eventually, the gods decided to seek the help of the dwarves, the best blacksmiths available, to produce a rope or chain that not even the great wolf would be able to break free from. As a result, Gleipir was formed. This was a light and silky rope made from several rather odd ingredients – the sound of a cat's footsteps, the beard of a woman, the roots of a stone, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird."_

"_How is that even possible?" This was murmured beneath Prince Loki's breath, but it came out incredulous and echoing. He had grown up hearing these tales of the great gods, and even as he grew to be the prince of his people, he often questioned their logic._

_It was Frigg who shushed the man, as she often did when Usopp told stories. And so Usopp continued for Kashi's entertainment._

"_When Fenrir saw the rope, he became suspicious, and would only allow the gods to tie him up on the condition that one of them placed his hand in his jaw as a sign of good faith. Despite knowing the consequences of his actions, Tyr volunteered to place his hand in the wolf's mouth. Tyr had befriended Fenrir when he was still a pup and was known to be an honorable god, and so the wolf trusted him. When Fenrir found that he had been tricked, and that he could not break loose from Gleipnir, he was furious, and bit Tyr's hand off."_

"_Oh my." Kashi muttered._

"_Yes. Tyr was oftentimes known as the bravest of the gods. Not only for knowing what would happen with Fenrir, but for always standing up for what was right. Sometimes, when I look at you Kashi, I imagine him standing brave and tall."_

_Kashi smiled softly. "What happened then? To the wolf?"_

"_Well, Fenrir would be bound until Zesterong, when he would break free from Gleipnir and devour Odin. As for Tyr, he would face Garm, the guard snake of Hel, and both would succeed in killing each other."_

* * *

Usopp sniffles softly now. And he sits there on Kashi's dead face for a long time. Long enough to grow unsteady beneath the gaze of the dark sky. Long enough for the giants to begin fighting again. Long enough to place a frightening connection between Odin, Fenrir, the snake, Usopp and Kashi.

Kashi was killed by a snake.

Usopp had been swallowed whole by…

His head shoots up and he yells "Fenrir" the same moment a large giant screams his name and begins toppling toward him. The giant is a gnalish creature, no doubt on the side of Ake in this war. He's huge and grime ridden and Usopp can smell that the blood on him isn't his own. The pirate stands and braces himself for impact.

"God Usopp must die!" The giant yells this and raises the weapon in his hand. And Usopp can't think straight. If that hammer comes down as hard as it was raised, he'll be nothing on this field. Not even a smudge of blood and flesh. He'll be dust. That's all that can go through his head. Dust. Dust. Dust.

"Ahh!" The giant freezes and his face constricts into pain. It feels like a lifetime of he and Usopp just staring at one another before the beast grabs hold of his stomach and begins screaming and screaming and screaming. nd the screams got louder and Usopp couldn't take it. Half of the giant's head blends into a rust red dust and it blows away as he screams in pain. This is soon followed by the giant's entire body disappearing into the wind. Usopp only stares in horror. His body just changed and he faded. He just turned into dust. Just dust. Nothing more.

Around him, other giants, both good and bad, in the midst of battle begin to scream in pain and torture. The same fate betrays them and most turn to dust. By the fifth giant that is torn apart, Usopp realizes that he can't stop thinking. All he can think about is how that giant turned to dust. Dust. Another giant turns to dust.

Usopp ducks down into the dirt, holding his hurting head. He can't stop it. He can't stop thinking. The god-god fruit. He can't control it.

_Chichichi. You're hurting them. You can't control your own power._

"Get out of my head," he growls to no one in particular. Ake is back again. Physically cowering away from him, but mentally torturing him.

_Dust. Dust. Dust._

The giants continue to scream.

"Get out of my head, Ake."

"Usopp!" Someone cries in the distance. The man looks up toward Prince Loki, one of the last he's fighting for, and whimpers. Loki is staring at him in concern and bewilderment. "You're head." He murmurs from across the field.

Usopp's eyes go up as far as they can and he stares at the words hovering around him. "Get out of my head," he reads aloud. The god-god fruit is a literal servant of anything Usopp thinks and the bad part is that he doesn't know how to stop thinking.

The man, already upon his knees, punches the ground. "Ake, I'm going to tear you apart," he vows this, but as he punches the ground, the earth begins to rip apart. It's a horror scene; watching most of the giants fall into the cracks of the earth created by the man they're fighting for.

"Usopp," Loki cries again, both confused and betrayed. It's the last thing the sniper ever wants to hear.

"I'm sorry, Loki. I can't control it. I can't control it."

And then Loki's eyes dim as he understands the burden Usopp has to face. "The god-god fruit." Which could only mean the Frigg was dead. "Usopp, I'm sorry."

And he doesn't deserve that. He doesn't deserve that when he failed to keep them safe. When he failed to protect them. "I don't deserve that." After saying such, he stands on the rocky earth and grabs hold of his heart. Or what's left of it.

The fight goes on.

* * *

**Four Hours Later**

**With Mountain Beard Jarl and the Straw Hat Pirates **

Warland, so named and called by those who should know, is in ruins. By the time the Straw Hats come about the village, the voices heard before are all gone. The ground, once lush and wild, is no longer green. It is barren and dead and gray, stripped of its beauty. The trees had lost their skin, and now their skeletal remains desperately reach out toward the sky, misguided into believing that the fire flakes are pieces of the sun.

Small leaves and patches of grass still alive catch those flakes instead, and they engulf themselves in flames. Ahead of the group, Nami raises her clima tact like a goddess of the wind. Elegantly, but with equal force, the young woman sweeps the staff across the land.

After a moment of withering silence, water begins to cry. The fire withers away in fear and the blood begins to rinse away. Nami raises a hand, letting the rain sprinkle on her fingers before sighing in relief.

Before her, close to her, is a dead tree. She reaches out hesitantly with her hand. It quivers, afraid, and drops down in shame. "What happened here?" She asks in a murmur, although she already knows. They all do.

Around the village, the bodies of giants lay motionless to the sound of feet beside them. It's a massacre. No one checks for survivors.

When the ground is scorched and hard, a soft item makes Luffy halt in his dead movements and he stops and stares down. His head twists to the side and after a moment the young man drops to his knees hard, not caring for the damp mud.

The straw hat pirates stop as well and they stare at Luffy. What he reaches for and raises up is a small item. It holds no importance to this field and none to the dead. The blue and white of the piece are dabbled with red blood and the material is torn and knotted. But to no living or dead Montblanc does the blue and white stripes of courage mean so much as they do to Usopp.

Luffy raises the armband to his visage and sniffs. What's let out is a sort of choking sound. And their captain cries. It was more than crying; it was the kind of desolate sobbing that came from a person drained of all hope. He sobs into his hands and the tears mixed with rain drip between his fingers, sliding down onto the parched soil. Luffy's breathing is ragged, gasping. He was noisy, his skin was blotched but no-one came to comfort him. He cried until no more tears came, but still, the emptiness and sorrow remained.

The captain hiccups into Usopp's armband and turns his head to his swordsman. His glare is sad, pitiful and afraid. "Zoro," he croaks into question.

The swordsman's icy glare lowers in pity. "No. He's alive."

Chopper looks up. "Then why is Luffy crying? Usopp's not dead, so he should be relieved, right?"

"He thought Usopp was dead," Zoro murmurs to the reindeer. "He can't feel anything from him anymore. No pain, no hunger, no hope. Not even fear. He just feels empty."

"Which is what Usopp is feeling," Chopper concludes in sadness. It makes sense. Luffy was able to feel everything from Usopp in the past two months. He can't imagine how afraid he'd been when suddenly, there was nothing. He can't imagine relying on someone else to know whether the love of his life was dead or alive. But that would mean…. "But, Zoro, can't you feel exactly what Usopp's feeling? How do you know he's alive?"

Zoro thinks about Blackbeard's experimentation. Had the snake never removed Luffy's heart, he'd share the same like Usopp and Zoro. "Usopp and I have the same heartbeat." And nothing further is said because nothing further needs be explained.

Ahead, Jinbe helps Luffy off the ground and the Monkey stuffs the armband in his pocket. Chopper watches him breathe in reluctance before Zoro stops breathing beside him. When he looks up, the swordsman is frozen, staring ahead with stricken eyes.

In less than a millisecond, Zoro has his swords out and is running ahead. The moment he reaches Luffy, his swords clash with a shadowy grey figure. It's not human, although its silhouette says otherwise. And despite looking shadowy, Zoro's swords are able to stop it instantly. Upon its head, is the shadow of a crown. It floats in the air, but Chopper remembers Thriller Bark. This is no ghost.

Chopper growls and throws a Rumble Ball into the air. "Arm point." When he catches the ball in his mouth, the reindeer transforms immediately and he slides back as his arms bulk up. When he looks around, the rest of the crew is also armed or stanced in a ready position.

Despite the swords digging into the torso of the figure, it remains unaffected. It makes a point to lower its head and glance at the swords and then it looks back up at Zoro. Its head tilts to the side.

"Zoro!" Nami cries and it takes a moment for Chopper to realize that Zoro is flying across the ground and the figure's arm is outstretched.

With nothing between them, it begins to tower over Luffy before falling back. Standing ahead of the captain now is Sanji with his leg raised in the air. "Mosshead was going easy on you. I sure as hell won't."

And it has thought. Chopper knows for sure because with that declaration, something odd happens. The figure stares down their cook before flexing its fingers outward and….. it screams! It screams hard and loud it never stops staring at Sanji. Or the man behind him.

Sanji's words are taken as a challenge the moment he and the figure begin running toward one another. Second by second, parts of the thing's body light up in flames until finally its engulfed and resembles….

"The fire giant." Chopper whispers. All are well aware now that this is the figure giant that set fire to all of Elbaf, starting a war between the giants and putting Usopp in the middle of it.

Sanji notices mid-run too and he gets _angry._ And Sanji's anger is terrifying. It made Chopper angry that the world tried creating an image of fire and brimstone. Of endless suffering and heat. Sanji's anger was hell really and it was worse than that. "You son of a bitch!" He screams and by the time his foot connects with the figure, it's lit aflame. The attack connects and the fire giant flies back in utter shock. "What'd you do with Usopp?!"

It stands. It stares but never does it falter. However, it's arm is dented inward where Sanji's foot connected.

Jinbe comes to stand beside Sanji. "Nami." The Fishman calls.

The woman steps forward, a harsh frown on her face. "You've got it." With a small sweep of her Clima tact, cool balls begin to rise in the air with the already existing rain. It begins to shower down harder than before and Jinbe raises his arms.

He gathers water in his hands from the rain and directs all of it towards the figure. "Buraikan!" And while the powerful shockwave is hurtling toward it with immense power, Chopper knows it won't do a thing. And it scares him.

The determination it has to get to their captain.

The wave hits. And just like Sanji's attack, it does nothing but shock the shadow. And while it is shocked, Chopper decides that he too can help Luffy.

The reindeer gets as close as Zoro had been and begins hitting the former giant with a barrage of Kokutei Roseo punches. "Cherry Blossom Blizzard." His hooves begin to burn and his focus remains on the Sakura petals falling from its torso. And yet, even that doesn't knock it down. Both hooves cease mid punch and he stares at the fingers gripping him hard enough to break bone. When he finally looks up and the thing is staring at him. Closely and intently, and Chopper sees it close enough.

It's a woman.

She throws him off to the side like garbage and stares down Jinbe, Nami, and Sanji. When she puts her hand to the sky, Nami's rain disappears. And with a single sweep, their fate stares over them. Franky steps backward as the huge water giant stands before them. It's unmoving for a second. Beautiful and almost like ice.

It's eye pops. Splashes. And the giant tumbles. Soon, the Strawhats are staring at the huge tsunami coming down toward them. "Oh, Laboon." Brook whispers and raises his swords.

Sanji raises a fiery leg. "About time you woke up." Off to the side of him, Zoro comes forward, two swords at the ready. "Knocked you out pretty good."

"That was a nap," the swordsman grumbles.

"Not the time, you two." Nami raises her Clima Tact high. "Get ready, Sanji." The cook nods and they all wait for the wave to get in closer. "Now!"

"Grève du tsunami!" Sanji's flaming leg kicks out and a vast amount of flames covers about a mile on either side as it crashes into the shadow's water wave.

"My turn." Robin helps Zoro into the air using her hands and the man raises his sword. He spins while holding his swords horizontally. "1080 pound cannon." The air compressed in his attack is smoke and fire with Sanji's help and it swings toward the figure quickly.

And yet by all this, it doesn't seem to work. Chopper looks down at his broken hooves and back at his friends. "Guys," he murmurs. But the sound is silence. He was going to tell them it wouldn't work, that whatever she was, their attacks were mere punches for her, but a quick flash passes by Chopper's head. He looks around diligently, fearing the presence of another shadow.

"Gum Gum Pistol!"

His guess is proven wrong when a flash of blinding light appears around them. Zoro flies backward out of the air and is caught easily by Franky. In the dark sky, lightning cut zigs and zags through the village. But it hadn't come from Nami's storm cloud. It had come from the small moment before the flash of light came. When Luffy had finally woken up and seared past Chopper's head. He'd seen Luffy's fist go out and he'd seen the woman's fist come forward. That was it. The immense power of hers that they'd been trying to match was held inside their captain's rubbery fist and both shadow and man separate among the darkness.

Luffy stands almost immediately. But his eyes are shadowed and he sways uncertainly. On his face is a small cut that resembles a bolt of fire. It doesn't shine red with fresh blood, but it's a deep purple, almost black. On the shadows' chest are cracks that originate from the crater right in the middle. And Chopper sees darkness in those cracks. It's funny really. There's usually light.

Luffy's stare was intentionally cold and all the crew knew that the figure stared back just as icily. It hums. And then it laughs, but it doesn't have a face. "Those feelings inside of you. They were real. He was dying, you know?" Luffy's eyes dim down and his left knee twitches. "Don't believe me, see for yourself." She waves an arm absentmindedly and a shadowy cloud appears beside her. In that cloud is Usopp. Some of the crew gasps, some hold it together, Luffy doesn't react.

Usopp is on the deck of the ship when he scurries down to the lower deck. They can feel the amusement radiating off of him when he pauses by a door. Robin's old room. He opens it and yells inside as if he's found someone, but no one's there. At least not until he turns back to the child on the old rickety bed.

The boy is small, a bit lighter than their sniper. He has an Afro and he's staring at Usopp in so much sadness. "_I had a bad dream,"_ he says.

Brook steps forward. "Me?" he asks of the child with tears in his eyes. At the same time, Usopp says "_Brook?"_ No one gets denied.

The vision moves on and the boy gets sadder and sadder. That they can feel. They can feel all inside Usopp at this time. Guilt, confusion, fear, and sadness. "_What if you send me back out there and I get hurt really bad? What if I get hurt really bad and all my friends go away? What if I go away too, but I have to come back and I'm alone for decades without sunlight? And God takes my shadow away from me so I don't even have a friend in the dark? What if that happens?"_

The boy talks about his life. Of the bad dream of losing his friends to death. And then himself to death. And then his shadow. He talks about what will happen. What happened to Brook.

The memory shakes. Usopp's shaking his head. "_I would never-_" Luffy interrupts him and although there's evident fear and Usopp is asking questions a mile a minute, he doesn't tell Luffy what's actually wrong. Because he's afraid it wasn't real.

It goes onward. Nami sees him in that horrible dream and he leaves Luffy in the nighttime to keep checking on her. And when Nami groans in her sleep, they hear Usopp sniffle up some tears and whisper to his friend. "_You're okay."_ He scours the ship and lies to Franky. He doesn't tell Franky what's wrong. Because he never asks. And that voice in his head lies to him. He's out there. He's hurting her. And he gets yelled at by Sanji for sleeping outside the girl's room. He doesn't tell Sanji what's wrong. Because he'll be called a liar.

It's nothing compared to when Zoro pops up in his visions. "Fuck," Chopper hears the swordsman say from the ground. Because the image that pops up is death. Zoro's blackened eyes are being lowered as whatever it is pulls him down in the swamp water.

_He's dead_. They all hear the whisper. Usopp screams and falls backward, knocking himself out. It goes on all the way to where they lost him, where he chases Sanji into the forest so 'she' wouldn't get him.

"They were real. The fear. Pain. exhaustion. It was all real." The shadow murmurs and she sees Monkey D. Luffy decaying in front of her eyes. "The hunger too."

An image of Usopp's current form shows up. His bones are showing and his face is sunken in. He doesn't look like Usopp as he dips his hands in dirty water to drink from. He doesn't look like the boy who would wake up early and taste samples of Sanji's new dishes before they were served to Luffy. He doesn't look like Sniper King.

It's Sanji who doubles over and the contents of his stomach are emptied out. Robin rests a hand on his back for comfort.

The shadow looks like she's smiling at Luffy now. "And that feeling inside you right now? The emptiness? It's real. I'll show you."

An image of Usopp pops up hanging from Aschebaum and struggling with the rope around his neck. Luffy reaches outward. "No!" Usopp tries lifting himself up, but he's too weak. And after struggling, it seems that Usopp begins to accept his fate. "Will it hurt?" he struggles out. And no one is there to answer. Usopp dies alone and the image fades after that.

Luffy falls onto his knees, his head in the dirt. The shadow comes forward. "That is the best way, Monkey D. Luffy, to kill a D. By taking all they love and leaving no hope of a future." It begins to soar forward. "That is the best way to kill a D - aahhh!"

The thing flies away from Luffy. And it seems that the harsh blow from the newcoming giant, the strawhats techniques, and Luffy's punch was enough to finally take it down.

In its place stands a large giant. His scrappy orange hair falls into his eyes and covers his face. His shoulders are as wide as his neck and his arms are bulky. He doesn't resemble an Elbaf giant because he looks dirty. The clothes are rags and he's more physically busted up than them. In his hand is a big stone hammer that crackles with lightning each time he breathes out the whole world. Engraved on it, from what Chopper can see from this angle, are mountains and fire, wind and rain.

What strikes them more, however, is the moment he looks up to glare at the fallen shadow.

"Oh god," Chopper mutters to no one. Around the edges of the giants mouth is torn skin. Red with dry blood and puffy from punctured lip. The inflamed skin looks like someone stitched his mouth shut and he's torn it open by enduring the pain and opening his mouth wide. If they looked closely enough, one would surely see the loose thread hanging down from parts of skin that refused to tear. One could surely see the struggle to hold on.

"Hesh not dea," he says or tries to say it harshly to their common enemy. He says it as well as a man with no mouth to form around words can say. "Hesh not dead yet." He tells her this again but not in a way to inform her. He says it in a scolding manner as if she's a liar.

The shadow takes a moment to stand up and, unlike the Strawhat Pirates, does not cling to those words undoubtedly about Usopp. Instead she gestures to the hammer in his hands.

"Where did you get that, Oimo?" It bothers her, unquestionably. The idea of it and who wields it. It bothers her greatly. "Who gave this to you?"

The giant, Oimo - Chopper feels like he knows that name - tightens his grip around the hammer and stares down at it. The shadow huffs out what could be a legendary laugh and flicks her hand.

"Why ask a mere man?" She asks aloud and beside them all an image appears.

It's Usopp again. He looks the same. Hungry, tired, thinner, but less dead than they last saw. Wiser even, and they're relieved. Because she's a liar. Usopp's not dead and he didn't die.

The giant is crouched down before him and Usopp is stroking his face. His nose, very large cheekbones, a stitched mouth yet untorn. "She'll toy with us. Confuse us. Try to split us apart to gain an advantage." He whispers to Oimo soothingly. "In the event that we do separate, I made you something to protect yourself."

Instead of making a curious indication about what it is, Oimo instead leans into the touch and gentle strokes. Usopp entertains him. The straw hats can see all the love he holds dear for this giant and they wonder briefly if they had gone through the same treatment together in the two months Usopp had been gone.

"With this fruit in me, I sometimes feel myself cracking under all the lives I never lived. People's memories are in me." He seems sad about it, but he smiles. "Do you know how that hammer was created before our time?"

Oimo needs not say a word. And Usopp continues on, using both hands to stroke the giant's face almost like a child touching fur.

"'In this story, Loki -''' Usopp cuts himself off with a small laugh when Oimo's head tilts. "No, not the Prince. Loki, the trickster. The shapeshifter. In this story, we will make this Loki a girl to burn away confusion. Anyway 'she finds herself in an especially mischievous mood and cuts off the gorgeous golden hair of Sif, the wife of Thor. Upon learning of Loki's trickery, Thor is enraged and threatens to break every bone in her body. From what I know of Odin and Thor's memories, Loki was a coward at most times. Afraid to live. Afraid to die. Sometimes afraid to be embarrassed by it. Loki pleads with Thor and asks for permission to go down to Svartalfheim, the cavernous home of the dwarves, to see if these master craftspeople could fashion a new head of hair for Sif. Thor is convinced and sends Loki to Svartalfheim.'

"Today, it is called Lagristoar." And he smiles big when Oimo's eyes widen in recognition. "The village where you were raised. It means small place and it's where the giants that grow smaller than most are born. That's why you and Kashi -" His eyes tear up when he says that and Chopper feels like he knows that name from some time ago. "That is why you two are much smaller then Jarl and the prince who were raised in Warland. 'Upon her arrival, Loki is able to complete her promise to Thor as The Sons Ivaldi forge not only a new head of hair for Sif, but also two other marvels: Skidbladnir, the best of all ships, and Gungnir, the deadliest of all spears. Having accomplished her task, Loki remains in the caves with the intention of causing mayhem. She approaches the brothers Brokkr and Sindri and taunts them, saying that she is sure the brothers could never forge three creations equal in caliber to those of the sons of Ivaldi, even betting her head against their lack of ability. Brokkr and Sindri, being prideful dwarves, accept the wager and begin their creation of three marvels.

The first begins with Sindri putting a pig's skin in the forge and telling Brokkr to work the bellows nonstop until his return. Loki, in disguise as a fly, comes and bites Brokkr on the arm to ensure the brothers lose their bet. Nevertheless, Brokkr continues to pump the bellows as ordered. When Sindri returns and pulls their creation from the fire, it is revealed to be a living boar with golden hair which they name Gullinbursti. This legendary creature gives off light in the dark and runs better than any horse, even through water or air.

Next, Sindri puts gold in the forge and gives Brokkr the same order. Loki comes again, still in the guise of a fly, and bites Brokkr's neck, this time twice as hard to ensure the brothers lose the bet. Brokkr, however, continues to work the bellows despite the pain. When Sindri returns they draw out a magnificent ring which they name Draupnir. From this ring, every ninth night, eight new golden rings of equal weight emerge.

Finally, Sindri puts iron in the forge and repeats his previous order once more. Loki comes a third time and bites Brokkr on the eyelid even harder, the bite being so deep that it draws blood. The blood runs into Brokkr's eyes and forces him to stop working the bellows just long enough to wipe his eyes. This time, when Sindri returns, he takes Mjölnir out of the forge. The handle is shorter than Sindri had originally planned which is the reason for the hammer's iconic imagery as a one-handed weapon throughout Thor's iconography. Nevertheless, the pair are sure of the great worth of their three treasures and they make their way to Aderhof to claim the wages due to them.

Loki makes it to the halls of the gods just before the dwarves and presents the marvels she has acquired. To Thor, she gave Sif's new hair and the hammer Mjollnir. To Odin, the ring Draupnir and the spear Gungnir. Finally to Freyr he gives Skidbladnir and Gullinbursti.

As grateful as the gods were to receive these gifts they all agreed that Loki still owed her head to the brothers. When the dwarfs approach Loki with knives, the cunning god points out that she had promised them her head but not her neck, ultimately voiding their agreement. Brokkr and Sindri contented themselves with sewing Loki's mouth shut and returning to their forge.'"

After his story, Usopp closes his eyes and his hands brush the stitches on Oimo's mouth, almost as if there's more to say about the matter. And he whispers so faintly and softly words and actions as if he can see them. "'And the mighty Thor laughed so hard that the thunder rolled across the sky like skipping rocks, and the lightning crashed against the heavens like overturned ships, and the people all across the regions heard it like a secret." He murmured to himself more so than to his friend. "And the trickster had vowed that one day, he would feel what she felt with those wires around her lips. One day, he would not be able to laugh thunder and lightning and the people would not know her secret.' It almost makes sense now."

Oimo head tilts and Usopp shakes his own to clear away the thoughts, visions, memories of all the lives he never lived. "This hammer, Oimo, will protect you. It will make you feel strong when you feel strength is lost. It has my strength in it. Frigg's strength. The god-god fruit." Usopp laughs and stops stroking the giant's face. Instead, he leans his forehead on the bridge of Oimo's nose. "More than this, it has my love. If we should ever find ourselves separated in the forest, I will be with you in that piece of stone. Be not afraid. You are a warrior."

The image fades and the fiery shadow remains motionless as if still watching it. She stands there for a long time and yet no one takes advantage of her state as they too are equally shocked. It feels like months pass, time they could spend searching for Usopp. Finally, something inside the shadow falls and breaks. And she voices what they all ask.

"He has the fruit."

And she turns slowly to Oimo in a fit of anger. As if this is all his fault. Her hands bunch together in a tight fist and flames engulf the bitterness. When she raises an arm toward Oimo, a ball of fire is thrown out. It flies through the air for a short time before Oimo gathers his initial shock and scrambles out of the way. She soars toward him in flight and raises a ball of flames. The strawhats watch the rage move on. The figure throws flame after flame at the already wounded giant who narrowly dodges. Despite looking winded and ready to die, his movements are as quick as they can be for someone dodging death.

"Ahhh! Stop running, you coward" In that small moment, Oimo trips up a little and a flame catches hold of his leg. The shadow stops throwing them. And as the flame rapidly rises up the giant's body, burning him alive, one ball of flames is enough. It laughs in the air and begins to soar toward him, fist already pulled back in a tight punch.

"Wielding that hammer doesn't make you a God. He failed to tell you this. He lied to you. He wanted you to believe it would keep you safe. He _failed_ you. It doesn't make you God. It doesn't make you immortal."

Oimo smirks. Or tries to, Chopper supposes. The shrouds of his lips go up on the right side and then fall sloppily. "I know these things. _We_ knew these things. It doesn't make me a God." Oimo lifts the hammer when she gets close. The flames are trickling up his neck and he stretches it upward as if it's water rising and this'll keep him from drowning. "But the trick is….It doesn't make you a God either, Im-sama."

Im freezes before him, hand still raised in the air and Oimo swings the hammer. Chopper cringes on impact. It hits her right in the jaw. And although she's a shadow, he can see some teeth shatter. A visible wave goes through her body, a yellow light from her head to her outstretched toes. And despite getting hit _that_ hard, Im remains frozen in the air. Her eyes are looking dead ahead, above Oimo who's engulfed wholy now.

She grimaces in what could only be pain or fear and then she explodes. It's not a large one like when Luffy hit her. It's soft and she turns to ashes way before any of the bodies that have been on this field for hours has the chance. And then she's gone.

When she's gone for good, when her ashes leap into the air in a frenzy and fall onto the ground with a thud, only then does Oimo finally fall to the ground. Chopper stands in a heap and runs over to the giant, not sure where or how to heal him. He's nearly scorched, third-degree burns all over his body. When Chopper reaches into his bag, he's stopped by a voice. Oimo's voice. Oimo's dying voice.

"He's not dead," he whispers and his broken lips are smiling. "He's alive. He's fighting."

Chopper smiles too and although Zoro and the images of Im prove this, he can't help but tear up that someone can physically confirm this. Someone that was close to Usopp and fighting with Usopp for these lonely months.

Usopp's _alive._ His big brother is alive. Out there being a warrior. And they're fighting for him. Against him. With him. Because of him. And Choppers understands the chant now. _Fight! For Elbof! For Usopp!_

And Oimo dies right there. From behind, Luffy clutches his chest in pain. And the reindeer wonders, wherever he is, if Usopp can feel this too.

* * *

**With Usopp and Loki**

**In the Forest of Elbof**

He feels it as they move through the woods, searching for high ground. It aches in his heart immediately. And it passes through his mind. Oimo is gone. No longer can he feel his own power being pulled to the hammer. No longer can he feel the fight in his friend.

Oimo is dead.

Ahead, the forest goes milky and blank and Usopp loses vision when he trips over the root of a tree.

"What's wrong?" Loki pants on his back. The prince had been wounded multiple times during the fight, even before Ake and Usopp's appearance. Even after Kashi's death. Despite all this, he continued to fight with determination, a hunger to end all battles. When it was over and most of the warriors were dead, Ake had run away to recuperate herself. Oimo had lost them somehow, and Prince Loki couldn't walk.

It was ironic. The mighty prince of Elbaf, legend of myths where he could carry multiple giants on the point of his finger, use mountains to play chess, and stand miles above the ocean at its deepest point. He was deeply wounded and unable to use his legs for some hours now, probably for forever.

Usopp had used the fruit to grow again, becoming Loki's equal so that he could carry his friend away from the deadlands, pass this forest, and if necessary, forever.

It was possible, almost inevitable, that Loki would die before seeing his next battle. He was too heavily wounded. And Usopp can feel his cold blood drying against his back.

Usopp clears his throat. "Nothing. Don't worry."

"Okay. What are we looking for in this forest again?"

"Garm, the snake."

"Uhuh," after a moment of consideration, Loki asks "Why again?" In his weakened state, the prince grew tired and his childlike mannerisms were evident proof he was losing oxygen from the brain. For the past hour, Usopp felt like he'd been carrying a 15-year-old Chopper who asked questions every so often. Often being every breath.

"It's her weakness."

"What if it isn't?"

"Why ask that?"

"Remember in the castle, she said it wasn't."

"She was lying."

"But what if she wasn't? She is as old as time herself and she seems knowledgeable."

"Well, Loki, Empty barrels make the most noise."

"What does that mean?"

"I'll tell you about it another time," he promises softly. He isn't trying to evade his friend's questions at all. But the more Loki talks, the more energy being used. And who knows how much more needs to be drained before he's gone forever.

After a moment of silence, "Usopp?" Sad, it sounds.

His heart hammers. He hesitates.

"Usop-"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me a story please." The sniper ducks beneath a low tree and stops at a clearing. He remembers this light that dug into the forest. It's where he lost them. Ahead, Jarl's home sits in the distance. Beside them, the stone.

The one not even Robin could make out the words of. Only this time. Usopp's head tilts. "The hell?" he smiles softly. It hurts his chapped lips, but by the gods, he could read it. He could read runes. And then he shakes his head. Of course he can. He'd sacrificed himself on Aschebaum.

And with purpose and newfound hope, the sniper of the strawhats pirates begins what could only be a way to stop this madness.

"Someday, there shall come a Great Winter unlike any other the world has yet seen. The biting winds will blow snows from all directions, and the warmth of the sun will fail, plunging the earth into unprecedented cold. This winter shall last for the length of three normal winters, with no summers in between.

The wolves Skoll and Hati, who have hunted the sun and the moon through the skies since the beginning of time, will at last catch their prey. The stars, too, will disappear, leaving nothing but a black void in the heavens. Aschebaum, the great tree that holds the cosmos together, will tremble, and all the trees and even the mountains will fall to the ground. The chain that has been holding back the monstrous wolf Fenrir will snap, and the beast will run free. Garm, the mighty serpent who dwells at the bottom of the ocean and encircles the land, will rise from the depths, spilling the seas over all the earth as he makes landfall.

These convulsions will shake the ship Naglfar free from its moorings. This ship, which is made from the fingernails and toenails of dead men and women, will sail easily over the flooded earth. Its crew will be an army of giants, the forces of chaos and destruction. And its captain will be none other than Lake, sometimes remembered as Ake or Loki, the traitor to the gods, who will have broken free of the chains in which the gods have bound her."

Usopp grabs hold of his head. This entire time, the trickster and shapeshifter was Ake, whose real name was Lake, often pronounced as Loki.

"I was named after her, I believe. Do continue, my friend."

"Fenrir, with fire blazing from his eyes and nostrils, will run across the earth, with his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw against the top of the sky, devouring everything in his path. Garm will spit his venom over all the world, poisoning land, water, and air alike.

The dome of the sky will be split, and from the crack shall emerge the fire-giant Im, mother of Lake and Frigg. An ominous horn blast will ring out; this will be Heimdallr, the divine sentry, blowing the Gjallarhorn to announce the arrival of the moment the gods have feared. Odin will consult him and Tyr.

The gods will decide to go to battle, even though they know what the prophecies have foretold concerning the outcome of this clash. They will arm themselves and meet their enemies on a battlefield called Warland.

Odin will fight Fenrir. Odin and the champions of men will fight more valiantly than anyone has ever fought before. But it will not be enough. Fenrir will swallow Odin, who will return to find knowledge of the runes and stop this battle and slay Fenrir.

Garm the snake and the god Tyr will slay each other. Lake will try to do the same to Heimdallr, but the sentry has no place in this war. The goddess Frigg will meet her end in this battle, leaving the world to wonder what will happen next for them. Thor and Im, those age-old foes, will both finally have their chance to kill the other. Thor will succeed in felling the great queen with a blow of his hammer. But the fire giant will have covered him in so much fire that he will not be able to stand for much longer; he will take nine paces before falling dead himself and adding his blood to the already-saturated soil of Warland.

Then the remains of the world will sink into the sea, and there will be nothing left but the void. Creation and all that has occurred since will be completely undone, as if it had never happened.

Some say that that is the end of the tale – and of all tales, for that matter. But others hold that a new world, green and beautiful, will arise out of the waters. Odin, will arise one day and end the trickery of Lake once and for all, bounding her once again beneath Garm and causing mighty earthquakes."

Usopp stares at this and nods slowly at first. And then rapidly. Yes. Yes. This is what he needed. What he'd hoped for. He knew that snake would be needed. He knew Ake could be defeated in the way she's always feared.

Through evil itself. Through poison. He knows what to do and how to do it. And yet, the young man hesitated by the stone for more than a few seconds. Usopp is unsure of how to begin. How will he find her, but first what will he use to weaken her. Where is Garm?

"Usopp."

"Yeah?"

"I don't believe I'm meant to make it."

"You will. We're almost to the end of the fo-"

"No I mean, I'm not meant to live." Usopp can feel his head loll, but the other giant raises it as if woken from sleep. "In the event that I don't, I know you will defeat her. I know she stands no chance with that fruit sparing inside you. Stronger than Oimo's strength, and Kashi's justice, my leadership and Frigg's love. My concern is afterward. I know that Elbof will let you leave this place of horrors and hope. I have some words in the event that I never get the chance to see you part from my land."

Usopp bites down hard on his lips and he tries not to croak like a cow when he says "Loki."

"I hope you find yourself out there," The giant whispers in kind. "You're so young and yet you carry the whole world and all the lives you've never even lived. I hope you figure out your heart. I hope you figure out your mind." His voice cracks. "I hope you learn how to be kind to yourself, and how to embrace the journey you're on. I hope you learn how to be proud of the person you are becoming and of where you are - even if it isn't exactly where you want to be. I hope you fall in love with the process, with the messiness of life. And the confusion of it all."

By this point in his small speech, Usopp is full-on crying. He's crying so loudly and so sloppily, that he sits Loki against the stone. "Loki, you will live. I promised you would. I promised I would save you and protect you. I can't let you die here. Not here. Not now." He shrinks down to normal size and holds his hands against the prince's face. "I have to make sure you live. You're all I have. You'r-"

Loki smiles and his head dips low and his eyes close. "That I have loved you means that I always will," he murmurs.

Usopp stares in trauma and shock for a long time. He's still holding his arms out against Loki's face. But now, he can't feel the giant's breath ghosting over his forearms. And slowly, he lets go. Loki's chin slams down onto his chest. Usopp crouches down in shock. Utter disbelief.

They were gone. All the people he had left. Frigg, Kashi, Oimo, Loki. All the people he'd been fighting for were gone. And the people he'd vowed to protect. He couldn't. He couldn't save them.

He felt emotionally bankrupt. There was nothing left to feel, nothing left to say, nothing left but the void that enveloped his mind in swirling blackness. Absentmindedly, the sniper brings his knees to his chest. He lays his head against the fluffy beard of Loki and he cries. For the living and the dead.

He cries his heart out and then he cries onto it as it lay there. He takes in gasps of air, but it feels like nothing's working. He feels like he's going to die. He feels like he is dead. _Fight. Usopp is alive. He still fights. I know you will defeat her._

He holds his knees tighter. They can't get to him like this. Can't encourage him with dead words and empty promises.

_Fight._

No, he wants to scream. He has no more to give. He wishes Ake will just come and kill him now. Let Zerstorung bury this land in water and fire.

_Fight._

"No." he whispers.

_You son of a bitch,_ he hears Sanji scream, _What'd you do with Usopp?_ Sanji's….alive. But he ran into the forest with him.

_Fight for them._

Usopp sits ups. Sniffles some tears that make his nose burn. He looks around in sadness. Loki's body is still slumped against the stone. He's dead for sure. But he's talking.

_Run. Get to the top of this mountain. Run now. Find shelter in Jarl's home for now, but run._

He's been alive long enough and dead even longer than that to not question the voices in his head. Whether they're telling him he'll die, telling him to fight, they're surely always right.

And Loki is telling him to run. The man stands on the legs of his friend and hops down onto the ground in curiosity. He looks around the clearing, but there's nothing there besides earth, light, and death. A sharp intake of air makes his head snap backward. He feels like prey trying to find predatory eyes in the nape of woods behind him. He squints harshly against the light.

There. She's there. He doesn't know how long Ake has been following them or whether she heard the prophecy, but he's too wounded now to actually fight her. And she'll probably try to kill him if she did hear. He takes deep breaths, calculating in sync with her. Fight or flight. Kill her now with nothing, or be killed. His eyes stray away from her morphed image to the home of Jarl. She looks too. No evil may pass through the walls of Heimdallr. It's something they're aware of. It'll take him a whole minute to get there from here. Once inside, Ake can only wait for him outside. If she kills him now though, there's no telling what she can accomplish in the time it takes for him to arise again.

He's weighing his options and it seems better to fight her now. However…

_Run!_

The second Usopp takes off, cold air bites into his lungs and his feet fly over stones and leaves. Ake was right on his tail, he could imagine. And he quickened his pace until his steps became leaps. Gut wrenching; heart pumping, and yet he pushes harder and goes faster. His feet slap the grassy area so hard, it sends tremors through his weakened legs. And he wonders how a malnourished, 50-pound man can run so fast.

"Usopp," Ake yells from somewhere near him. As if they're long time friends having a disagreement.

In the corner of his eyes, everything becomes a blur. Jarl's door is right there. He can see it. Almost reach it.

"Usopp!" Ake slams into him from the shadows. Usopp gasps as the pain goes from the right shoulder through the whole body. His feet are lifted from the ground and after what felt like flying through the air, he's blinking rapidly and his eyes sting as the ruthless wind passes him. Everything around him begins to blur as he falls from a cliff of Aschebaum. Beside him, Ake is falling too, blindly trying to fly back upward. He grabs her down with him.

After a moment of falling, Usopp begins to meet contact with the branches of the mythical tree. He hits most of them, feeling bones break in his body. And he tries to laugh imagining the heart attack Chopper is going to have when dealing with him in the infirmary. His lower body twisted and hit against another branch. Beside him, Ake was hitting them too. But she was a God. They didn't hurt her as much. Painful purple bruises covered Usopp's body. His head tossed forward, connecting to his chin as his legs whipped back like a salad being shaken in a bowl. Opening his eyes at the last second, the sniper let go of Ake to shield some of his face from the bottom root of the tree.

"This too shall pass," he murmurs to himself, the fear of dying now gone. The moment Usopp's jaw crashes downward is the moment he dies. Somewhere above, Monkey D. Luffy feels that.

* * *

**One day later**

Usopp jolts awake, his eyes filled with terror. His good arm comes up; strokes his face to see if it was all a dream, but feels splinters in his cheekbones. Feels the puffiness of the bruises and the slackness of a broken jaw. He can't even talk. That was the thing about dying with the god-god fruit. The bruises stayed with you.

Terrifying and shaking, the man gives out the loudest scream he can cause filled with pain. It sounds more like a zombified groan however as his jaw is too slack to close.

That was another thing about dying with the god-god fruit. You couldn't feel a thing as you were dying. But when you woke up 24-30 hours later, the pain you never felt came back with you. He looks down and shakingly grabs at the bone sticking out of his hip. He grabs hold of it to make sure it's real, winces and cries and prays to die, and then he lets go.

He can't move. He can't move. Oh god, he can't move. Ake had been a little above him when they died, so that means he at least has another hour before she arose. But if he couldn't move, how could he even find something to weaken her further.

His head and bruised neck move around and he sighs. He's back where he started. Back near Jarl's home. Quietly, he tries to think of something. Using the fruit now would only hurt him. He has to heal a bit first. He onces over his newer injuries. His right shoulder is still dislocated and now he can't use his legs for Odin knows how long.

He tries to stand. Falls on his hips and screams. Usopp bites his lip. With determination, he digs his left fist into the ground. And slowly he begins to drag himself.

It hurts. It hurts. There's nothing else in the world now, besides the hunger, that hurts more. His exposed bone is being dragged against the ground like a dead stick. It must take him at least ten minutes to reach Jarl's door. And he breathes deep. Open, he thinks. Open, he thinks again, not in tune with his devil fruit. Ope- The door opens. He grunts. Endures the pain by holding it between teeth and lip, and drags himself inside.

Inside, he can't see a thing that he can use to hurt Ake. On the floor is a den den mushi, but what would recording do for him? He looks around some more, refusing to add more pain by dragging himself in further. With a small frown, Usopp's eyes lock onto a flintlock .44 caliber hanging off the edge of Jarl's dining table. He uses the fruit to have it come to him and further takes advantage by making it small enough to fit in his hands.

"Is evovo." he remarks, meaning six revolver, but he can't close his mouth to form words. This is what Mr. 5 used in Little Garden. It was perfect. Usopp begins dragging himself out the door, but stops once more. He looks back at the den den mushi and hums.

* * *

The mountain he wants to climb isn't the highest, but it's one that many people don't travel up. He's sure there's leveled ground somewhere between the peak and the bottom and on that leveled ground is a cave. No doubt the home of Garm the snake.

He checks the sun behind the red clouds. He still has about a half-hour before Ake wakes up. And when she wakes up she will start to climb this mountain as he did. And he'll be ready. Waiting for her so he can go home.

The climb is painful. It burns more than when he had to carry Loki and more when he carried Frigg. Blood drips from his body and down the mountain, his feet slip here and there, he gets dizzy. But he doesn't stop. This is the one chance to finally stop this madness.

After twenty minutes or so, he hears a painful scream. "Usopp!"

He doesn't stop. Ake will be in pain, but she'll climb this mountain to stop him. Their determination is driven by their competitive edge and undying nature. He reaches his left hand upward and grasps another ledge. With his body scraping against the rock, Usopp pushes upward. His foot slips. He holds steady, bites down on rock. And tries to push himself up again.

It works.

The sniper laughs almost chaotically and begins dragging himself to the cave. He stops a meter away. Pulling the den den mushi from his pocket, he pushes it against the ground. When his options arise, he grits his teeth. The only one he has is broadcasting live. He'd wanted a recording that he could bring up later in the event that this method failed and he needed to know why. With a sigh of defeat, he chooses live, unaware that Jarl's den den is able to interrupt any broadcast around the seven seas.

His bruised face remains close to the eyes of the snail as he adjusts it. When done, he pants, coughs some blood, and crawls away.

He can hear Ake climbing up the mountain so he adjusts in a sitting position against the cave, holds the revolver in place with his only working arm.

And he waits. He waits for what feels like years, hearing her pant in pain as she climbs. She was persistent. Chasing him all around Elbaf so that her mother's dream could be fulfilled. But she was a coward.

Finally, a hand slams against the surface. Ake hoists herself up. She's almost as bruised as him. She growls at him and continues to hoist upward. "You fool. God Usopp of the Strawhat Pirates is a fool! The fruit in you and still you stand no match against me. I am Ake! Daughter of Im who rules the seven seas through the world government! Destroyer of all th-"

Usopp releases fire on her. It's rapid and excruciating and every bullet makes its mark. Ake spazzes with each impact although she cannot feel it. The important thing is, it's enough to kill her. There's so much blood. His and more of hers. It takes about 40 rounds to take her down and she flops onto the surface.

Her head lifts in utter anger. Utter betrayal and she stares sharply at him, her blinks becoming longer. The anger from her eyes shows the scared child within, the girl who was taught to fight and starved of the love she craved. Usopp can see the pain beneath and her soul drowning in this persona she'd carved to fit a world of indifference. But he can't help someone like that, not unless the tears come and she realizes what's really going on. She's helpless now, no fight in her. Any more rounds would be overkill.

Her deformed face is twisted into something nasty and her eyes are leaking blood. She glares at Usopp. "I hate you!" She croaks. "I hate you!"

Usopp pulls the trigger lightly. A single bullet comes out and Usopp awes at his own terrible power. Although he's wounded and he fires from the hip with his less dominant hand, it hits her dead center in the middle of the head.

Ake falls limp and the kingdom and all its people go strikingly silent.

And to work he goes. There's so much adrenaline pumping through his body now, he can't feel a thing as he goes to her, flicking off the den den mushi in the process, and dragging her into the cave.

Garm is there already, hanging on a wooden post that sticks from the wall and hangs above a large rock. On the post itself is a chain connected to a bowl half full of Garm's venom. He smiles sinisterly at Usopp as soon as he comes in. "Even when I fight against my winner, in the end, I am always on hissss side."

The hero ignores him.

He kept a piece of the rope he used to hand himself. It was strong and sturdy and nothing could break through. He ties two pieces around Ake's hands and holds them against the wall.

"Bind these hands, and never should she move again," Garm whispers. A bit of venom drips from his mouth. Ake will remain here for eternity. There are far worse fates than death. And this is one of them. Tomorrow, he will have escaped this horrid land and Ake will rise here. Garm's loose mouth will spill venom into the bowl beneath and when it overflows, Jarl will come to dump it. In the meantime, the venom that drips will cause Ake to writhe in pain, causing earthquakes for miles.

And Usopp killed her. Yes she has the fruit, and yes she will wake up, but he killed her. She was the worst of all things, but he still killed her. And he killed those giants fighting for and against him. The wolf. He killed Loki, Frigg, Kashi, and Oimo. He couldn't save them. Couldn't protect them.

The man looks away from Ake's dead body and drags himself through the blood. He feels tired now. Like a part of him died with Ake, but he doesn't know why. And still in all that blood, he dies again.

* * *

_He's here. _The voice in his ear is faint. It sounds like someone is yelling. _I found him._ Someone touches his arm. Usopp gasps in a large breath of air and he can taste all the elements in it. His senses are stronger. Way stronger than When he first got the fruit.

"He's alive! Usopp's alive!"

He can feel everything and nothing. But the scariest thing is, he can't feel Ake anymore. He can't feel the hate radiating off of her. He can't feel her breath. And it isn't just because he's free of her now. No. With the god-god fruit, Usopp can feel every. Single. Living. Thing. Everything now is a variation of him. He is the twigs on the ground, the smallest fishman, the tallest mountain, and the oldest celestial dragon. He is Zou, he is Robin, he is Drum Kingdom, and the snow beneath it. But he is not death. He is not Ake.

Ake is dead for good. He doesn't understand how that's possible. She _did_ have the god-god fruit and he doesn't recall her losing it somewhere between the high of her falling and the low of her dying again. Briefly, his mind ventures to how many times she has actually died. There can't be limitations to the god-god fruit. Maybe she'd died from heartbreak. Maybe the betrayal in her eyes had killed her. The sadness glazed over by anger.

He wakes fully as if there is an emergency, as if sleeping had become a dangerous thing. His heart beats fast and there is a buzzing in his brain and together they are panicking with jump-leads. Only now his brain is as a flat battery, the exertions of the battle being a marathon of erratic problem-solving. And so this day will pass as if he is hungover, not from drink, but from the nightmares that demand solutions.

His broken jaw is still slack when two people lift him out of the blood on either side. One is Zoro. The other is Brook. He can't remember them looking like this.

"Careful with that arm. It's dislocated."

As they leave the empty cave, Usopp cries in utter pain when the sun hits him. It's more of a loud groan than anything, a heavy weeping as he's pulled into the sun. Zoro whispers his name softly.

And a gentle voice calls out. _Thank you for saving me._ And the voice that was once sinister and bitter no longer weeps. Ake sounds like an angel. Like her older sister.

When they reach the outside, loud cheers erupt. Even bigger than the Straw Hat Pirates. "Fight! Fight! Fight! For Elbaf! For God Usopp! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Usopp weeps louder.

* * *

**Alright. So if anyone is confused about the prophecy or what happened in this very very long chapter, please feel free to either PM me or ask in a review. I will be glad to answer all questions, starting with some I asked myself:**

**Q:Who plays the Zesterung I v. II roles?**

**A: Odin, god of all and the mightiest = Usopp**

**Heimdallr, watcher of Aderhof = Jarl. It is said that Ake was supposed to kill him, but he did not play a large role in this battle.**

**Frigg = herself**

**Tyr, God of justice = Kashi**

**Thor, strongest god, god of thunder = Oimo**

**Fenrir = himself obviously**

**Loki, the shapeshifting trickster god = Ake, Lake, Loki**

**Freyr = Utgard-Loki/Prince of Elbaf**

**Surtr, the fire giant = Im-sama**

**Q:What devil fruit(s) did Frigg pass on to Usopp?**

**A: The god-god fruit - the beginning and the end. The destroyer and creator of all things. **

**AND the mimic-mimic fruit - basically, Usopp has the power of all devil fruits in him, even Luffy's.**

**Q: Is Ake dead?**

**A: Yes**

**Anymore questions. I'll be here. One more chapter and I AM DONE. I cannot wait to start some other cool Usopp-centric stories I've been writing. Next chapter is gonna be pretty short, so expect it in about two days. :)**


	5. Afterward

**Afterward**

**Month One**

"His brain is infected," Chopper mutters. He thinks Usopp is asleep when he gives the crew a full detailed briefing on what is wrong with their sniper and how he can fix it, if at all. Several days ago, they'd brought him back to Sunny immediately after finding him in the cave with nothing but a snake and a chained skeleton.

There is a celebration in the kingdom of Elbaf now and it had been one since the moment Ake died and Usopp lived. They celebrate Usopp of course, dancing and drinking and building statues of the man they hardly know. The one brave enough to stop Zesterung. They mourn their prince by celebrating his life and they mourn their fallen warriors as well. No one mourns Frigg. No one knows about her presence enough to know how.

They scream for Usopp. They weep for his health and they weep for his presence.

Usually, as the heroes of a battle, Luffy and his crew would be in the middle of that celebration. Dancing, drinking, and aweing at statues of themselves. They'd rell in the gifts brought to them and devour the food they need to replenish. They'd sing and send love and joke until the early morning.

The Straw Hat Pirates do not participate in this celebration.

No. They are docked on the shores of Aschebaum in those five days, idling around the ship in concern for the man that keeps losing and gaining life in Chopper's infirmary. They've heard Chopper hiss in frightened curses and Usopp groan in pain more times these days than they've heard since the crew was formed. The device that had been measuring his heart rate has stopped a lot. Sometimes long enough for Chopper to question his ability and the crew to wonder if they had any to give. But no matter if it stops for five minutes or four hours - which had been a nightmare - Usopp always seems to come back.

"It had been infected already of course. The black veins of Blackbeard's darkness-darkness fruit are still evident and pumping, but there are blue veins now. Strikingly blue like lightning. I've also compared the size of his brain to a previous checkup." Chopper pauses. Hesitates to understand what he's about to say. "And then I compared it again to be sure. After that, I used another device to measure it. His brain is significantly larger than before."

"Could it possibly be swelling?" It's Robin who mutters this, more to herself than the doctor.

"I checked that. In the few hours that he-" he stops himself again; Usopp would like to comfort him. "In the few hours when his heart stopped, I prodded his brain and inspected it closer. It's enlarged, but this is no swelling. This is permanent. I have a full briefing on that." He can hear papers being passed around the crew.

"His ribs are also infected. He'd been stabbed there, as there is a puncture to the bone. I'm not sure about what it was, but it was an old tool, possibly rusted. I've properly cleaned the wounds to reduce bioburden but, Sanji, he'll have to maintain proper nutrition and hydration."

"Absolutely," the cook says this in determination as if it's a mission he can't fail. Usopp knows he'll do everything in his power to save the life of his best friend. Usopp also knows he doesn't deserve that. He killed them. All those people. The giants fighting with and against him. Frigg, the prince, his friends. Ake. He killed her. She had begged silently in those silent last moments of her life. For life or death. Usopp was unsure, but he didn't care at the time. He just thought about saving them.

"The feet are also infected so the same goes for that. The left foot was punctured directly into the bones and yanked out. We all saw the bone sticking out of his hip when he was found, and it had to happen at least 24 hours before then. I found wood in the gap and splinters in his face. Both feet and hands are frostbitten. He was surely in a tundra climate for about a day or so, barefooted no doubt. Fortunately, that should heal in about a week."

A deep grunt of affirmation interrupts the doctor. It's Zoro. He grunts like that when he wants to understand something that deeply worries him. He did that a lot when Luffy sent news about Sanji and Whole cake. "Will everything else heal in a week or so?"

Chopper sighs. He clears his throat once again. Usopp imagines him trying to look strong. "No," he whispers. "The frostbite is the only thing that I can estimate the healing process." He stops for a moment. Flips a few pages of something. "He was also stabbed in the right shoulder, but the limb is dislocated. Based on the bruising around the wrist of that same shoulder, I can only attest that this was self-inflicted."

"Why would Usopp dislocate his own shoulder?"

He cringes in this form of sleep. He wants to tell Nami that he was trying to save someone. A giant with hair and eyes like her. He wants to tell her he's a coward and wouldn't have done it without proper cause.

_She doesn't listen. She keeps moving closer to the giant. All he can think about is how afraid Brook was on that bed, tears in his eyes, belief in mind that he would always be alone._

"_Leave him."_

_Oimo's head goes between his knees. Usopp yanks his chain hard, feeling his arm pop. "Godamnit, I said leave him alone! You've done enough."_

"He was chained up for a long time. From the discoloration of his arms, he was possibly chained with his arms upward. He was possibly suspended in the air for a long time. He must have been trying to break free." The sniper listens to something tap against the wall. "Blood clots are here, here, here, and...here. In both arms, his hip, his left foot, and his eyes."

"Oh my," Brook mutters. "I hope this is all, young doctor. I hope it was just the stabbings, and the infection, and the frostbite and the enlarged brain." He hopes against his own memory. Brook had seen Usopp first thing walking into that cave. He'd seen all that blood and he'd been the one to call out. He'd lifted Usopp up and felt the weight of leaves. He'd heard Usopp groan in pain, but never a word came from that hanging jaw.

"Unfortunately, no. Usopp's jaw is completely broken. It hangs down so badly that I had to perform surgery immediately. He won't be able to talk for a month or two." Chopper stops to think for a moment. "Well, I shouldn't say that. His jaw is wired to heal, so he won't be able to speak _properly_. I tried to find a cause and for a moment, I sure didn't believe it. But, Usopp had wood chips in his bruised face. He had splinters in his chin." He whispers this incredulously. "And when we had gotten back to Sunny down Bifrost, there was blood on one of the roots of the tree. A few teeth too. But it sat there in a way that it had been splattered. As if someone fell against it."

"You can't be serious."

"Luffy, I wish I wasn't. But from the sample I collected, the DNA matched. Those were Usopp's teeth and that was his blood. I don't know how or if he got to the bottom of Aschebaum. But you can only break your jaw that way if you fall hard enough and fast enough against it."

"Are you saying Usopp fell from the top of Aschebaum and hit the bottom and that's why his jaw is broken?"

"Yes."

"How did he live?"

"I don't know. But I stand by my theory and only Usopp can actually confirm it. That fall was real and so was the hanging. If his broken jaw didn't stop him from speaking right, then the bruises around his neck will. His neck had been snapped and there are imprints of rope going all around. What that shadow showed us was real. Usopp hanged himself. He died."

It's quiet. No one can believe it. Usopp is surely alive in the infirmary as Chopper gives them a briefing, but he supposedly died out there in Elbaf.

"I wish," Chopper croaks. "I wish I didn't believe it either, but it happened. I don't know how he lived and died and lived again. I don't know if he will. The main thing we should focus on is getting him back to good health. Usopp went from being a healthy 140-pound man to being 50 pounds in two months. He's malnourished. His bones stick out and are more prominent at every joint and once his face isn't swollen, it'll remain jaunty and ghoulish looking. If Usopp doesn't eat soon, then he'll surely die. And I don't know if he can come back from that."

Silence.

_Silence._

**Silence.**

"Heeesh right." The words he speaks are harsh and dry and his neck feels like it's being clogged from the inside. When Usopp opens his bloodshot eyes, the whole crew is staring at him bewildered. Maybe they thought he _had_ died. "A-bout...everything. I died."

He falls asleep in exhaustion from trying to say those 6 words.

* * *

**Month Two**

The newspapers come about a month later. Usopp has been in the infirmary since then. Nothing's changed except his feet and hands are very warm now. He'd forgotten how that felt. How being warmed from the inside felt.

Every now and then, a crewmate will come and watch over him. He'll watch them too, of course. Trying to see when it'll end. Chopper stays the longest, replacing his feeding and urinary tubes more often than anything. He sits near the edge of the bed when he has nothing to do. He falls asleep in there a lot, chin resting in the crook of his elbow. And Usopp begins to trust him. He begins to believe that this is real. That Chopper is not a sick joke Ake is playing.

The others visit every so often. Robin comes in to read to him. Nami comes and sits near the foot of the bed, and she'll read quietly or write in her journal. Sanji comes in and just talks about things; food, Zeff; a fight with Zoro. Despite this all being a dream, Usopp enjoys that Ake remembered that he and Sanji have quiet conversations. So when Usopp thinks something he cannot say, he is pleased that Sanji will give a little chuckle, agree with him out loud, and go on explaining why. Sometimes, when Usopp is so exhausted, he'll fall asleep right in the middle of Sanji talking. And he'll feel a soft kiss against his forehead that smells like smoke and cologne.

Zoro grunts in consideration when he comes in. And he sits in a far corner of the room carving statues. He's the only one that Usopp actually mutters words too. He'll mutter words like 'long beard' when Zoro is carving Prince Loki and 'white eyes' when the swordsman is carving Kashi. Franky leaves small parts near his bed every now and then and Jinbe comes into to check all his vitals like Chopper once showed him.

Brook avoids Usopp. It's out of respect, Usopp knows, however. Using the god-god fruit, he understood those thoughts and feelings inside Brook. Usopp died. And like Usopp, Brook is afraid. Like Usopp, Brook doesn't think this is real either.

Almost as much as Chopper, Luffy is in the infirmary. He doesn't care who's in the infirmary with them. He still treats Usopp like he always had. Like there was no love on earth like him. He showers Usopp with jokes and compliments. He tells Usopp that the sniper is the most beautiful he'd ever seen. "You are so beautiful, Usopp. Your heart is made of gold and silver. You're my best friend. I was lost without you." And most times, he'll grab Usopp's bruised hands and kiss every finger. Usopp won't say a thing, but when he blinks, he ends up crying. Luffy cries too.

Luffy's visits make Usopp feel real. It hits him every single time. Yes, the others died. Yes, he is sad. But he is loved. Loved by them all. And he is both happy and sad and he is still trying to figure out how that's possible.

It's Nami who accidentally leaves the newspaper. It's a day she hums in discontent a lot as she reads it. And he's sure she didn't mean to leave it near his leg. He's sure this is something they wanted to keep from him until he was absolutely ready. But Chopper calls for Nami and she rushes out in a heap, telling Usopp she'll be back.

Most days, the infirmary lights are dimmed so that Usopp's eyes can heal. The only bright light he gets is the second between the door opening and closing. When Nami leaves, Usopp's eyes wander to the uncomfortable paper brushing his legs and he reads the words 'World Government Leader Shot to Death; Gunned Down in Elbaf Kingdom.'

He strains for the paper, feeling his shoulder move around. And he reads it all. The world economy newspaper, Water seven's, Totto Land, even the Blueberry Times. There are many articles in them all. But every article is about him.

_Farewell, Dear Leader._

_Peace. The Greatest Apocalypse of All Time Ends_

_Elbaf Crashes._

_Celestial Dead_

_Elbaf Battle Kills Hundreds_

_God Usopp Unstoppable and 50 Pounds_

_Sniper King now Dubbed Hero of the Seven Seas. Honor Higher than Emperor._

Some from world government representatives, some from regular vendors with no bias like Morgans, an emperor of the underworld. In most of them, he is said to have killed Im-sama, leader of the five elders, and her two daughters. They call him all kinds of things. A trump card for the Straw Hats, evil itself, a murderer, a hero of Elbaf. They question why he decided to execute Ake live and why he shot her in the head when she'd been clearly pleading with her eyes. Biased or not, Usopp had killed her when she was defenseless.

On the last page is a photo of him in Elbaf, way before any of the bruises took part on his body. It's when they had first docked and obviously, a reporter had to get photos of the Straw Hat Pirates. Usopp is staring ahead at Aschebaum in wonder. That isn't what scares him.

It's a wanted poster.

'God Usopp. Wanted alive for crimes against the world government. 4,500,000,000 berries.'

4.5 billion berries. Usopp grips the paper so hard that he exhausts himself and faints.

When he arises moments, maybe years later, Nami is standing above his bed. Her knuckles are whiter than usual as she clutches the paper in her hand. Usopp's bloody eyes skim what he can see. When his eyes go over the 4,50… he knows it's real. It wasn't a dream. He was loved and hated. He was a monster. He'd killed her, with no remorse. And she was bigger than him. Bigger than all of them. She was a symbol of the world government.

"Usopp." Nami whispers. "I don't know what you saw here, but I want you to know that no matter what happens and how the world sees you, we will _always_ love you. Please don't fill your heart with sad feelings or your head with bad thoughts. This too will pass."

But, with the god-god fruit, Usopp can see in the long future. It never will pass. He'll bring danger to his crew and hardships that will be hard to come out of. The government will continue to slander his name and make him a monster. That bounty will raise and they'll hate him. They'll fear him in stories and they'll avoid him when he comes to an island.

"Usopp," Nami whispers. The man looks up and stares Nami in the eyes. He feels shameful. Afraid. She knows all the bad things he's done. And he finds it so odd that she's still able to look at him this way. He finds it odd that any of them tolerate his being on this ship. He looks down at his feet in shame. "This doesn't change how I or any of us feel about you. That I've loved you means that I always will. No matter what."

Loki's final words spin through his head. And for some reason, Usopp can't find it in his heart to believe her. They said it in the paper. He was a monster. Grief wells up in the corner of his eyes. He never looks back up at Nami, but there before her, he bleeds the salt of his soul and it pours from his eyes.

* * *

**Month Three**

By the third month, Zoro and Sanji are helping the sniper walk again. His foot is healed and Chopper promises that in a week, the cast should be off. When he'd fallen off Aschebaum and hit every branch on the way down, it had bruised him up good. His legs were still the same shade of caramel, but indigo blotches spotted them like a cow.

A month prior, Trafalgar D. Law had come aboard their ship to perform surgery on Usopp, alongside Chopper. The procedure took more than twenty-four hours. Law had been under constant supervision by Nami, whose soft eyes turned to steel and never blinked. She'd be damned if Law or any other outsider had a problem with how Usopp handled Elbaf. She'd be damned if they wanted that bounty. And although Law knew he'd never hurt the very dear friend that had helped in freeing Dressrosa, he didn't take offense to Nami's hands gripping that Clima tact every time he turned or Usopp flinched in his comatose state.

Twenty-eight hours of serious diligent surgery by Law with Chopper acting as an assistant. And Usopp's hip, shoulder, and jaw were practically healed. He'd done grievous work, never sleeping in those hours. He let Chopper sleep for some hours but never once did Nami close her eyes.

Chopper remembers when Law had finally finished the surgery and Usopp had woken up a few hours later. Nami had fallen asleep by then, the strain of twenty-eight hours being too much on her. But Law had gone to get coffee and he sat there for a few hours just talking to Usopp; telling him things that the heart pirates were up to and how the people in Dressrosa miss him. And he was getting to a part of softly praising Usopp when Nami woke with a start, a fearful and dangerous look in her eyes.

"You had always been this selfless hero. And I remember the humble look you had when that 500,000,000 berry bounty was placed on your head. But you didn't think about that. You just thought about saving us and them. And I want you to know, since I never got a chance to tell you, you have my whole heart. You always did."

And Nami and Chopper watch Usopp's lips quirk up into a soft smile. It's the first time they see it in what feels like forever. Nami sat her Clima tact down and slept peacefully then.

So, his broken bones are in the process of being fully functional. Still, Sanji is very careful when he places Usopp's right arm around his shoulder. They walk around the infirmary for hours at a time. And they treat Usopp like a first priority. Zoro doesn't leave to mediate, and Sanji doesn't leave to prepare lunch. Robin cooks for the time being.

It hurts a lot though. His hip aches when he steps although the pain isn't excruciating. He falls on his ass more times than he's ever gotten scared.

But the guys don't judge him. They don't even throw a pity party to make him feel better. He tries to be brave in front of them, but it doesn't work. He's been through too much on Elbaf to hide his emotions. So when he falls and lashes out and cries silently, Zoro and Sanji don't say anything. They stand around and wait for him to recuperate. It's something they've all done for each other since they met. It's something Usopp greatly appreciates.

It's one of those days when Usopp fails and he sits there for about 30 minutes muttering to himself. Muttering to Ake and the other voices in his head.

_Stand up again._

"I can't….fuck. I can't do it." He whispers. But he stands anyway. It's a struggle getting up with his arm, but he eventually stands and leans against the wall to catch his breath.

Sanji puts out his cigarette and flicks it in a bin across the room. Zoro wakes up. The swordsman hums and stares at Usopp's tear-stricken face. "You done with that tantrum, Arashi?"

Before he can mutter anything, Sanji smirks at Usopp. "Once we get this over with, you can finally start eating solid foods."

And Zoro looks away when Usopp smiles softly despite the wiring of his mouth. But neither cook nor sniper miss the way his eyes glisten in the light.

* * *

**Month Four**

Usopp gains an additional 50 pounds in the four months he's been back. And he can walk almost properly despite the small limp. All his wounds are nearly healed. There are scabs here and there and the arm he used to punch Ake is still dark and veiny, but that must be permanent.

This is the month Usopp can finally talk. Chopper will remove the wiring from his jaw and they'll jump right into speech therapy. And now, he can barely contain his excitement as Chopper carefully removes the wiring. His jaw doesn't fall slack, but Chopper puts his hooves against it, examining the healing process.

"You're neck is completely healed now, so that shouldn't hinder the therapy. I need you to repeat the words I say okay?" Usopp nods. "'My name is Usopp."

Usopp opens his mouth. And he begins to say those words while Chopper holds his hooves against his neck. His voice is unevenly pitched and he sounds as if he's gasping for the air of a balloon. He struggles a lot and fuck….it feels so dry. "My...name...is...Usopp."

"'I am a hero.'"

"I...am...a…"

The sniper stops when a voice whispers faintly.

_Hero of what?_

He doesn't finish the sentence and Chopper takes that as his limit for the day. He mistakes Usopp's cowardice for limits. He promises they'll continue the next day and instructs Usopp to drink plenty of water and speak what he's doing out loud. And then he leaves Usopp in the room alone. With freedom of speech, Usopp has nothing to say.

It's month four of being back home and he realizes that nothing is really okay. Sure, he is physically healing, but mentally he will never be the same. There are voices in his head and he doesn't know who they belong to. They whisper things to him. Not bad things like Ake would, but not good things either. They question him a lot.

_Are you really okay?_

_What if this is all a lie? What if you wake up one day and you're back on that mountain?_

_Hero of what?_

"I don't….know." he pitches out. "I'm no hero."

And he can't connect fully with his team because of this. Can't eat with them or fully bask in their love because they don't understand him. They don't ask about what happened in Elbaf and he really wants them to. They care, just not enough.

_What if they already know about all the things you did on Elbaf?_

Usopp gasps and sputters when too much air is taken in. That would explain so much. What if they did know about how he let his friends die? Or how he killed those giants using his god-god fruit? Or how he killed Ake without mercy?

_Like I asked before, hero of what?_

Usopp lays on the infirmary bed. "I don't know," he whispers and cries himself to sleep. Outside the door, Chopper listens.

* * *

**Month Five**

On the fifth month since they departed Elbaf, Monkey D. Garp invades the ship and asks him a fatal question.

"Do you ever think about what you did?"

And that voice asks. _Do you ever stop?_ And Luffy feels betrayed and Usopp feels relieved because he can just let it out. Then and there. At first he hesitates and he wonders what Garp sees in him right now. He wonders if he sees a frightened kid or if he sees God Usopp, the greatest sniper to ever do it, the liberator of the land of giants, the immortal enemy of Im-Sama.

Usopp cries hard and loud then. "I wanted to kill someone and I wanted to die and I wanted to run as far and as fast as I could because she was never coming back. Even though she was the worst of the World Government, she was never coming back. The human life is so precious. In Millions of galaxies, we won't find another. And without thought, I just-"

He stops. Hides his wet tears behind his hands. "I didn't think about it when I did it. I didn't think about her feeling it. I didn't think about it being broadcasted to the world. I just thought about saving _them. _And it wasn't until Brook found me, in all that blood, that I realized I was alive. I was alive and I was loved and hated, but I had you. All of you. But we don't talk about it. We don't. And it made me feel like no one cared that I was getting so much false backlash from the government."

"We cared," Luffy defends.

_He never said anything about it. He wanted to forget it._

"You all did. Just not enough."

_You're right._

Luffy whispers his name.

"I just wanted comfort. And I want you to know that I'm both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that's possible."

And everything changes after that.

* * *

**_Now_**

Usopp had long since let go of Luffy's hand to rub his own in shame. "I can never forget them. Frigg and Kashi and Loki and Oimo. I can never lose sight of their faces in my dreams. You don't forget the faces of people who were your last hope."

And then he smiles and looks up at their faces. All of them sad and down, but none in pity. He feels like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He feels free of Elbaf. The voice isn't questioning him now, and he doesn't know why. "I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what's happening inside me. I can't even explain it to myself. I think about Ake often. I see her weeping and crying in my nightmares, but I know it's just me holding onto this perception of me being this evil killer. Killing her felt all wrong until it was over and done with. And I have two devil fruits in me now. The god-god fruit and the mimic-mimic fruit. And the papers say that these things make me the perfect weapon. But I don't feel perfect and I'm sorry that I can't be."

A pair of lips touch his forehead and he's engulfed by Luffy's scent. It feels warmer than anything. "Oh, Usopp. We don't love you because you're perfect. We love you in spite of the fact that you aren't. All of us."

Usopp laughs softly against the other's chest. "When I look at my life and all its secret colors, I feel like bursting into tears."

"Are you happy, though?" It's not the voice that asks, but it is Luffy.

Usopp feels the other pirates begin to join in on the hug. Soon, he's engulfed by every one of their scents and he gets that feeling again. The euphoric feeling where he's happy and loved. Loved by all of them. "I'm always happy. Sometimes, I just forget."

_**Nine Months Later**_

Usopp breathes in deeply through his mouth. The air tastes like fresh sea and he gets a whiff of salt water in the process. He can taste the shells at the bottom of the sea and hear the mermaids and Fishman greet him from miles away.

"Focus," Zoro grunts beside him.

Usopp smirks. "I am focusing. I can only focus. Focusing is all I know." That earns him a smack upside the head, which he deserves because Zoro takes meditating very seriously. The smack is lighthearted, however, and it always had been. Even long before Elbaf. Usopp laughs heartily. "Zoro, I'm focusing."

"Look at your hands and feet." Usopp follows that instruction and opens his eyes. When he sees water flowing in place of his fingertips, he sheepishly grins. In place of his feet is a long mermaid tail fin. It's a sparkling yellow that looks gold in the sunlight. With ease, he morphs back into his original state and smiles at Zoro. The only time he ever loses control of his devil fruits is when he _is_ meditating. Zoro tells him to release his mind, and damn does it wander.

"We have to work on releasing your mind, but keeping it close," Zoro grunts. But he isn't serious or angry. Right now, Usopp feels light and surreal. He feels happy and content and his heart skips two beats every now and then. Sharing the same heartbeat, Zoro feels the same. He stands and begins stretching, calling an end to their three-hour session. And then he smirks out of the corner of his eyes. Usopp smirks too. "Hn. Do that again."

Usopp smiles and points his arms outward toward the sea. They turn into jelly and then liquid before a waterfall is formed and the two laugh and smile in the sun.

It's like this now. Usopp feels like an entirely new person, but all the same still. He's healed now. There are scars still, vague rubbery lines in his ribs, on his neck and left hip. There are black veins on his arms and forehead. His diet has changed. He doesn't eat as much as Luffy, but he is fully restored to good health. He looks like Usopp from Dressrosa. Like God Usopp.

The bounty still stands and it's made the journey to the One Piece a lot more difficult, but no one cares. They got Usopp back. And his relationships with them had been restored after fully explaining what happened in Elbaf.

**Robin**

Usopp and Robin had been in her Library one day reading beside one another. Occasionally, they would murmur amongst themselves. Show shock of something that would happen in their respective plot. Occasionally, they would speak to each other. Tell each other to read a passage or listen to a quote they might find interesting.

It was something they'd always had in common; a love for knowledge and an eagerness to learn something all the time. At some point, Usopp had gotten into telling Robin about the history of Elbaf. About Odin and the gods and the end of all things.

He supposes it began with him reading a passage out loud from Robin's book, to which he sat and thought about it for a moment. And he thought about his friends in Elbaf. His eyes fill with sharp tears and he murmurs. "I couldn't save them."

Robin tilts her head.

"I wasn't strong enough, I mean. To save them." And although she knows, Robin listens again. To how Frigg went to sleep and Kashi saw peace. To how Loki wished him well and Oimo never really said goodbye. New emotions are added of course, As Usopp only reveals what he's feeling at that moment. But he has a good crying session and Robin listens.

She puts a hand on Usopp's right forearm. The one that belongs to the dislocated shoulder. For a moment, she stares at the black cracks on his knuckles and the red blotches on the inside from his blood clots. On this arm, the blue veins are much more prominent almost as if lightning and fire run through them.

"What happened to your arm?"

Usopp smiles softly at that question. _When his veiny limb connects with Ake's charred face, even Usopp is surprised by how hard he hits. His knuckles crack on impact and his forearm goes numb for a moment as his dislocated shoulder tingles in sensation. He could see Ake's face cave in and the scars from the darkness-darkness fruit reveal themselves._

"You'll never believe it, but I punched a God." Robin stares at him for a while. He wonders if she sees the darkness and blood and screaming giants. The quietness as they stirred. He wonders if she sees Ake in them afraid and confused. Or Kashi dying. He wonders if she sees the fight in his eyes. What's left of it.

And then she whispers so sweetly, he can barely hear "I believe you."

**Sanji**

"Did it hurt?" Usopp looks up from his invention at the table to look at Sanji preparing the food. He knows exactly what he means. But Sanji still says it. "Did the hunger hurt?"

Flashes of pain burn through him and he remembers all the times the hunger stopped him. He remembers holding his arm against his stomach and feeling bone. Jaunty bone. He remembers throwing up nothing and he remembers sharing water out of a dirty sink. "My God, It was worse than dying."

And nothing more is said because nothing more needs explaining. Sanji's and Usopp's relationship never changed much. There are relationships that he can place bandages over to mend and there are relationships he has to perform hard sweat dripping surgery on.

Sanji fell into the bandage group alongside Luffy, Zoro, and Nami. These are the odd, brave, and strangely aweing people he had started his journey with. The people to whom he confessed that stormy day his fears of dying and living. And surprisingly, they had the same fears; even Zoro. Nami's fear was straying too far into worlds unknown. For Sanji, it was being forgotten. Zoro feared being lost and Luffy feared the loneliness. It was the fear of being alive. And so Nami pulled out the barrel and they made promises. To themselves and to one another.

So, no, his relationship with Sanji never changed. In fact, it had gotten even stronger. They shared plenty of things, but now they shared the same fears. Being forgotten and being hungry again.

Usopp doesn't actually think about how well put together their relationship is until they're sitting in the kitchen one day and Chopper comes in in the middle of one of their conversations.

"Did you know-"

Sanji's laugh cuts him off. "I know right? It's almost like they actually-"

"But they don't. It just looks that way because-"

"They have fins that-"

Usopp raises an eyebrow. "Glow in the sun. But you have to remember their-"

"Origin? I know. You know I still have that?"

"Really? I gave that to you-"

"Three years ago."

They finally notice Chopper by the door and Sanji clears his throat, imagining his smile as something dopey and stupid. It's a smile he saves for Nami usually, but Usopp brings it out most times.

"What are you talking about?" Chopper asks, and he's holding his head as if the whole thing really did confuse him.

At the same time in the same reminiscent way, Sanji and Usopp mutter "A sea king." And they look at one another in surprise. Chopper wants to slam his head against the wall because they'd practically been doing it the whole time.

"Jinx!" They yell and point at one another. "Jinx again!"

When they laugh together, Usopp feels a rumble in his belly unlike any other. It's the complete opposite of hunger.

It's later that night when Usopp is helping Sanji clean up the kitchen that Sanji confesses. "I was lost without you, you know?" At first, Usopp is confused because these are things Vinsmoke Sanji says to no man ever. The man is a womanizer, hardly ever showing his love for someone of the same sex. And by the chance that he ever does, it's always through kicking their asses. It's never an outright expression.

And Sanji notices this look of confusion masking the surprise so he continues on. This is unmarked territory and he knows nothing of what lies before him, but he continues on. "I was. You're my best friend, Usopp. We came to the crew nearly at the same time and we spent most of our time together. I was always trying to get Nami's attention, but when I wasn't, I sure as hell didn't spend my time with those other idiots." He says this with a smile and Usopp laughs softly. "I felt like it was my fault, you leaving. You ran into the forest screaming my name like you were chasing after me. And there was so much desperation and raw fear within you that I just stood there, shocked." He turns away harshly.

"And Zoro knew everything that you felt, but I just couldn't….I couldn't believe him. Not until I saw you. Not until I saw them come out of that cave. There was Brook and there was Zoro, but between them was this small thing. Covered in blood, jaw hanging, practically being dragged because he couldn't use his legs. And he was so small and frail, you could see his ribs when he inhaled. There was no fat beneath his dull eyes. But then those giants saw him and they started chanting his name. I still couldn't believe it."

Sanji sniffles, Usopp gets the urge to go and comfort him, and eventually, he gathers the courage. He hugs Sanji fully, as a man who loves his brother and by now, Sanji is fully on crying and saying difficult words.

"And only when he wept in pure emotional pain. Only then, I knew it was you. Usopp, please don't leave again." Sanji _begs_ this and he squeezes Usopp back tighter than ever. "Please. Please tell me if something like this ever happens again. I don't care if you think you're crazy. We'll be crazy together. You're one of my greatest four friends. You're my best friend. You're someone I never want to lose."

When Usopp blinks, tears leave his eyes. "Thank you," he whispers.

**Jinbe**

"You want to see how I call Sea Kings with God's Haki?"

They had been sitting beside one another fishing for the past hour. Usopp had been mindlessly talking about all the things he could do with Frigg's god-god fruit. And he got into talking about that very strange Haki he had that was a little stronger than conquerors. Jinbe looks like hope when he turns to the sniper.

"You can do that?"

Usopp wants to reveal that he can do everything. And then he wonders why he _wanted to_. Why he didn't just say it. "I can do anything. I am anything. I can make the dead follow me. I can make people believe things. I can put myself in one's mind and put fear or love in their hearts. I can make the whole world fall into a deep sleep with a snap of my fingers and wake them up in a flash. I can find the One Piece if I reach out enough. Some people know their limits. I don't have one. It's a dangerous thing to have in me, but I'm just Usopp. Straw Hat and sniper. I'd fear if anyone else had it. I don't use this Haki unless absolutely necessary."

"In battles?"

Usopp shrugs. "In battles too. I mainly use it here."

Jinbe's large head tilts to the side. He's confused. He wore a puzzled expression as if what Usopp said made him think about ten things at once. "Here?"

Usopp smiles. "Yeah. Sometimes, Nami cries at night. Don't mention it. She cries about her mother, about Luffy holding all his pain in, about me. And sometimes." He laughs sheepishly. "Well, it's actually all the time. When she cries, I put sunshine in her mind. I make her think about something funny. And the tears fade. When I know Zoro is training too hard, he'll ignore that voice that says his body is straining." Usopp smirks. "He can't ignore mine. I'll tell him in his head, 'you should probably sleep.' and he says out loud 'I should probably get some sleep.' And I promise you, he sleeps like a dream.

Sometimes, I organize Chopper's medicine cabinet while sitting by the garden. Or I use my mind to go into Sanji's head early morning. I hear him think about food, and I'll place spices for that dish on the counter while I'm still sleeping. I organize Robin's books while I'm standing in the kitchen. I'll sit ten feet behind Brook and turn his pages as he plays. When you're swimming, and I feel a dangerous presence around you, I battle with the sea kings. I tell them to go away and they listen. I refill Franky's cola and frighten storms away. And I can tell the future."

"You what?"

"I can tell the future." Usopp murmurs this sadly thinking about Frigg. "Everything that's going to happen, I know how it will unfold already. I try to make myself forget, but that doesn't help. I have the strongest observation Haki in the world. We just call it God's Haki. However, I'll never tell anyone what I know."

They sit in quiet content for a moment. Usopp feels closer to Jinbe. "So how about those Sea Kings?" Jinbe smiles and nods, but his eyes read 'yes, please.' Usopp stands on the edge of the rail and opens his arms wide. "Come see me," he whispers.

It's silent for a moment before one by one large sea creatures of all sizes, shapes, and colors rise in the air. They jump and splash around, but never once do their eyes stray away from Usopp. Jinbe is astounded.

A dragonfish lays its head upon the Thousand Sunny. It tilts slightly. "Who are you, little one?" It asks this question softly, but out of pure respect. As if Usopp is his superior. As if Usopp has an unspoken power no one can fathom.

Usopp smiles and squats down to pat the head of this creature. "I am Usopp. Protector of the seven seas."

And they all believe him. Even Jinbe.

**Zoro**

"Kashi was a lot like the God Tyr. He was justyify-" Usopp cuts himself off as Zoro speeds up his pushups. And because he's sitting on top of the other man's back while he does this, he accidentally messes up a very detailed scar that was on Kashi's face as he carves the wood. "Zoro. You're messing me up."

Zoro laughs softly but slows down. "Sorry," he mumbles. "Continue."

Usopp shakes his head with a soft smile. They do this often. If they don't meditate together, Usopp will keep Zoro company as the man trains. And even though he's used as a sort of weight to help Zoro most times, he isn't a heavy burden at all.

In return, Usopp gifts Zoro with stories of Elbaf. It's always something new. Today, as he carves wooden figures, he tells Zoro the honorable things his friends and the Gods of Elbaf did. "Tyr was justifying. If he saw something that he felt was wrong, he spoke on it. He always wanted to protect his friends. He always stood for what was right, even when he stood alone. Kashi was so much like him. Anytime Ake tried to hurt Oimo, Frigg, or Loki, he stood against it."

The memory of what Ake did to Kashi is still fresh. It still hurts, but when Usopp lets all of it out, it doesn't hurt so much on his stomach. "That's why Ake made him partially deaf and slashed both his eyes. He couldn't hear evil or see it either, and therefore couldn't stop it. But he never stopped, Zoro. He fought until the very end. He fought until it killed him."

And he tells him how Loki was like Utgard-Loki, who loved his giants more than anything. And how Frigg remained the same and her love was so full. And how Oimo was just like Thor, the god of thunder and lightning.

Usopp laughs softly. "I'll tell you this. I've been alive for a long time, and dead even longer than that to know you're unique. None of them were a lot like you Zoro. You're a Bushido."

When Zoro stops doing pushups, Usopp notices and his head turns to the side. "One of them is a lot like me."

"Oimo," Usopp whispers. He can see it. The strength to protect his friends. The fear of not having them. Zoro laughs softly at that one, and he stands, helping Usopp stand at the same time. The swordsman smiles. It isn't one of his more deadly smiles, the sinister grin that threatens. Nor is it his ever so jovial one that slips through when he's drunk.

It's a soft smile. Zoro rarely uses this one, but when he does use it, the target always feels sheepish. Usopp feels that now. As if he said something wrong and it embarrasses him. Zoro laughs. "Usopp, the god of everything. I've heard myths about his strength. How he punched the ground and tore the lands apart. How he lived and died. How he survived with no food. I heard that he saved an entire kingdom with just hope. He's like me."

"But, I'm just Usopp," he whispers in return. He doesn't feel like the God of everything. He doesn't feel strong. "I couldn't even make it through one thing in Elbaf without crying. I was always scared; always running. I had to always convince myself to be brave, I could never just do it. I wasn't strong until I got this fruit and even then, I didn't feel strong." His eyes lower. "The world hates me now. At least half of it. The half that stands behind the government. I'm not you or Luffy. I'm not strong enough. I can't handle all the hate. Sometimes, I feel like I'll never feel loved again."

There's a sharp pain in his heart that clearly didn't come from him. He feels sad now, disappointed. But there is no pity there. Unconsciously, he clutches his heart and then looks up at Zoro in guilt. He seldom forgets that they share the same heartbeat, but when he does, that harm goes to him.

Zoro's brows are furrowed so low, but he isn't glaring at all. "No matter what," he pauses and lands his heavy hand atop Usopp's head of curls. "I will always love you."

Usopp's eyes fill with soft tears. They leak from his eyes, but there is no sadness there. Zoro becomes blurred, but he can still catch a glimpse of the swordsman crying too. That rarely happens. But Usopp knows that Zoro isn't crying just because they share the same heartbeat. He's crying because it's real.

"Really?"

"Always."

**Brook**

When Brook finally stops avoiding him, it's by Usopp's will. He's healed fully and he can finally talk. He can reassure Brook that this isn't Thriller Bark and it isn't the Rumbar Pirates.

He's sitting in the infirmary one day, mindlessly flipping through the books. He knows the words before he turns the pages so it gets boring after a while. He feels Brook ten minutes before the skeleton begins to look for Chopper. It's a nuisance of the god-god fruit. He can already see how it'll play out. How Brook will be awkward about seeing Usopp in the flesh. The words he'll say to him. And the fear in Brook. He-

"Chopper, are yo- oh Usopp, I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd be in here. I was looking for Chopper. I'll just-"

"It's not a dream, you know?" Brook halts by the door. Usopp can feel the fear radiating off him like heat. He can hear Brook's thoughts and he grits his teeth when the question comes to mind '_Does Ake know?'_

"She's gone," Usopp mutters. "Ake is dead and gone and she can never come back. But, Brook, this isn't a dream. I'm real. Everything here is real. My bruises and aches. My health. My mind. I won't disappear on you."

Brook shuffles and comes back into the infirmary fully. _You died._ "You died."

Usopp nods. "I died." He agrees.

And before he can blink, Brook has him in both his bony arms. He's squeezing the life out of Usopp as if he knows it can't hurt him. Usopp blinks in rapid shock before returning the gesture. The god-god fruit didn't detect that hug coming? Was something blocking it out? Usopp looks up when he hears a soft chuckle. _Frigg,_ he scolds softly.

"When I found you, you were dead. You weren't breathing at all. Not moving. I lifted your head and shook you a few times, but you were dead. And I was so scared, Usopp. You don't understand. I was so scared to tell everyone I found you, but you woke up. You started breathing and I was the only one to see it. And then you came back and we all left together, but I was so scared that it was in my head."

And Usopp lets the man cry in his arms for a long time. And forever, if he needs it.

**Nami**

"How I'd love to get away from here and be someone else for a while; in a place where no one knows or expects certain things from me."

He says this to her a month after his confession. They're sitting in the garden of the Thousand Sunny, tending to their fruit or seeds with a tenderness that can only be seen as love. Nami halts in pouring water on the fruits. After a moment of soft silence, she looks over at him with sad brown eyes. It's not a pity. He knows.

Usopp smiles at her, fiddles with the black veins on his right arm, tries to hide them, and then drops the arm in shame. "I…" he hesitates. "I changed the world. The world changed me. I think about this a lot. How different it would be if I just said something. If I told Luffy that I saw Brook as a child. If I told Sanji why I was watching you sleep. If I just admitted that I was scared."

Nami's bottom lip quivers as it pokes out. Her eyes become glossy and she finally sits down the water that she'd been gripping. "Why didn't you just talk to me?"

Her question is valid. To no one else does Usopp's fear mean so much as it does to Nami. It was something they shared together. It was they who talked for hours discussing how they could better themselves. Together, they feared that they would always have to chase things they wanted. That they would always wonder whether they were truly wanted or whether they were settled for.

"I'm so sorry. I hurt you. I hurt myself by hurting you. I couldn't talk about it. It wasn't because I was scared. It's because it was easier to say 'I'm okay.' Mental pain is a lot less exaggerated than physical pain, but a lot less bearable too. It's easier to say 'my head hurts' than it is to say 'my heart is broken.' But, I want you to know that I will never do that to you again. I can't dream of hurting you all the way I did. I will die."

They sit in silence for a while. Usopp smiling sadly, and Nami stricken with hurt. "Can I tell you something?"

"Yes."

"The day I ran after Sanji. I didn't run after him to catch him. I didn't run to catch Ake. I didn't run to give chase. I ran to get away. I ran because I was scared. I ran because I was too embarrassed not to be." Usopp blinks and ends up crying. "I ran because I _had_ to. Because I wanted to see how far I could get before I had to stop."

The bough breaks.

Nami's entire frame shakes as she bursts into tears as she tackles him, squeezing his frame as if he'll disappear. "I love you so much. I never want you to go away. I can't live without you. So please, if this ever happens again, tell me what's wrong. I just want you to be okay. I don't even wish for fantastic or marvelous or outstanding. I'll gladly settle for okay, because most times, okay is enough."

Usopp, after getting over his initial shock, hugs Nami back. He squeezes her just as hard. "I'm okay." And he believes this.

**Franky**

Usopp doesn't believe anyone's ever asked Franky how he felt to be a cyborg. How it felt to be parts of a whole. He believes his claim as his mechanical friend stares with some sort of sadness and nostalgia in his eyes.

"Why do you ask?" he whispers to Usopp. The workshop is mainly empty and they're sitting a gentle foot apart. And yet the question echoes.

Usopp shrugs although he knows why. It's a feeling within him. How he feels like parts of a whole and how he believes no one ever asks. "I think about it sometimes. I didn't before. I'm sorry. I didn't until I got the mimic-mimic fruit and the god-god fruit. All these people say I'm powerful, but I don't feel that way. I feel like I'm pieces of what Usopp used to be plus some extra parts. I feel like new parts were added on to me and I'm just not the same."

Franky smiles. "I did too."

And Usopp smiles back and lets his friend explain.

**Chopper**

"I wonder how many times a day you die a little."

Chopper whispers this when he thinks Usopp is asleep one day. It's only a few days after his confession and the crew seems to have forgotten that he is indeed God Usopp now. Chopper is removing and reapplying new bandages to his hip and arm. He does it often. But never does he speak when it's being done.

Usopp does his best not to tense. He feels Chopper hesitate. The reindeer cringes in the dark. He's overthinking and wondering why he even said anything. Usopp cheats a little. He uses his fruit to pull Chopper forward and the teen blurts out what he didn't want to.

"I see you struggling to push forward. I see Ake in your head and Loki and Frigg. I see them pulling you over to wherever they are. They tempt you with awful memories and feelings and I don't think anyone else on the crew sees you struggling. Yeah, we talked about it, but the past doesn't change." The doctor sniffles a little. "Feelings sure as hell don't."

Dr. Hiruluk's image passes in Usopp's mind and he tries his best to block out the strong feelings and thoughts within his friend. "I want to find the cure to any disease, but this is something I never told anyone. Physical diseases are always easy. I can't test parts of the mind. I can't see what's wrong with this individual versus this individual even when they both show signs of sadness. I can't cure sadness."

Finally, Usopp reaches outward blindly and grabs hold of Chopper's hooves. The doctor ceases all forms of movement and looks up into the eyes of a sad man that used to be - will always be - his hero.

His mouth turns downward into something ugly and he bursts into tears. "I'm sad," he admits this in defeat, but Usopp rewards him anyway by pulling him down beside him. Together they lay side by side, and Usopp hugs Chopper for dear life, letting him weep in sorrow.

"My father died from depression. He also frequently read, had supportive friends and family, and was successful in his work. He had goals that he was constantly reaching - and he still killed himself. You've always been my hero, Usopp. I've watched you conquer things under clear defeat. I've watched you grow day by day. And when you came back muttering to yourself and sad and cautious, I knew then. I wondered why he couldn't be stronger. Why he couldn't just ignore the pain. Why'd he have to take his life? And then I realized, people who are depressed are not weak-minded. They are sick. And I had to understand this."

"Oh, Chopper." Usopp hugs tighter.

"In most ways, you're just like him. I'll find a cure to it, I swear."

"You already have. You just can't see it yet." Usopp backs away from Chopper and holds the small animal's shoulders. "But understand this, Chopper. I will _never_ leave you."

Chopper frowns deeply. "How do you know that?"

Usopp smiles. "I don't usually tell what I can see ahead, but this one is special. No matter what, I will always be with you."

**Luffy**

Despite Monkey D. Luffy being there through every tantrum and sleepless night, as well as holding his hand through that very anxiety-induced confession, Usopp doesn't actually assure his boyfriend until after he's already restored the relationships with all other members of the team.

"I love you." They're all sitting on deck. It's after dinner and Sanji's decided to serve everyone his special new cake outside. Beneath the sunset and warm sky and hanging lanterns. It's almost like Usopp hasn't said this in a long time and the words sound foreign on his tongue.

He's accidentally said it out loud if the confused look of his crew is anything to go by. It makes sense since they were all talking about something different. But Usopp is always fascinated by their captain and how he's a hero without meaning to be. He'd just been staring at Luffy and blurted out his feelings.

Now, the Monkey is staring at him in pure amusement as he lays a playing card on the table he, Zoro, Sanji, and Franky are sitting at.

"I mean," Usopp sighs in defeat. "I do. I love you. And I love you so much that I get sad because… when I was younger and would draw my house and family, I never had enough blue crayons even though it was my favorite. You're my blue crayon, Luffy, the one that I can never have enough of, the one I used to color the sky. Luffy I am _nothing_ without you." He's crying now, but this is something the others should know. That Luffy is the only reason Usopp is.

"No matter how strong I get and how dreams change. Every time I think it's impossible to love you more, you go and prove me wrong. Ever since you saved Syrup from Kuro-"

"You," Luffy interrupts. "I just saved you."

Usopp laughs because he knows Luffy is telling the truth. "You may hate it because you'd have to share your meat, but you're my hero, Luffy. You hear that? My hero."

At the table, Sanji hides his smile by biting down on his cigarette and Zoro grunts. The green-haired man looks down deeply but does not hide it. Behind him, he can hear Nami say aww, but none of that matters. What matters is Luffy tearing up before him and pulling his hat over his eyes.

He sniffles before saying loud enough for all to hear. "I'd be a hero. For real. If Usopp stays forever, I'll be his hero. I love you."

Usopp smiles, wipes his face. His eyes crinkle when Luffy comes up and kisses his forehead. "I'll stay. I promise."

* * *

"You coming, Arashi?"

Usopp is broken out of his stupor to look behind him. Zoro is already ahead, his body facing the kitchen. The sniper smiles softly, realizing that he let the day pass thinking of sweet memories. He smiles and nods at his friend and is glad that Zoro accepts that. When the swordsman is gone, the man turns back toward the sea.

"I realize, every day, that Elbaf doesn't have to be a memory of despair. I took with me infection, wounds, scars, and mental illness. But behind me lies a kingdom of hope, thriving on light. It's not about what you take. It's about what you leave." He whispers this in kind. In reply, Ake nods her head and lays it upon Frigg's lap to sleep. Loki places a finger atop his curls and Kashi agrees. Oimo smiles with a mouth free of stitches.

_We're okay_, the voice whispers.

"I am Usopp, hero of all." This time, he believes it.

* * *

**At this point, Usopp is a jedi.**


End file.
